Logan's Angels
by alcimines
Summary: Set sometime in the future, Jubilation Lee is SHIELD's only vampire agent, and she occasionally calls in her friend Laura Kinney for help. Each chapter of this fic is a stand-alone story, but is part of a larger story-arc.
1. Chapter 1

LOGAN'S ANGELS

CHAPTER ONE - LITTLE GIRL LOST

_Jubilation_

By now, I'm a familiar face in the Westchester County fire station. Most of the guys - firefighters and other people in the life-saving business - called out hellos to me as I walked in the door. I waved back.

Laura smiled when she saw me. Of course, her smile is so tiny that you have to know her pretty well to tell that it was there.

"Hi, Jubes," she said quietly. It took years of effort to finally convince Laura to call me something other than "Jubilation". Getting Laura to use a nick-name is like getting her to give you a big grin - it can be done, but takes time and it's not easy.

I looked Laura up and down and shook my head. "Only you could make a paramedic uniform look good."

Which is true. Laura is in her early thirties and still gets carded whenever she walks into a bar. Her blue uniform trousers and shirt should have looked like a particularly boxy and ugly tent on her. However, she'd apparently spent the money to have them tailored to better fit her lean body. That wasn't vanity. Laura has always put a premium on being able to move quickly and precisely. Clothes that got in the way are intolerable to her.

"Tell me about it," Laura's partner and boss - a balding, middle-aged, guy named Whitney - growled as he walked up to us. In addition to losing his hair, Whit was putting on a few pounds. It was a standard example of the middle-aged-spread and no amount of exercise seemed to help. As a former Marine, that was driving Whit crazy.

I like Whit. He's an old-fashioned kind of guy who likes to grumble that he doesn't think much of the twenty-first century - and back in the day was kinda suspicious of the twentieth. On the other hand, he doesn't seem to have a problem with a partner who's a mutant and her friend who's a vampire. Whit once told me that he learned to take people one at a time when he was a kid serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. He's cool.

"I'm not a paramedic. I'm an emergency medical technician," Laura corrected me - not for the first time.

I could feel my smile turn into a grin. Laura is way too serious. One of the reasons I was put on this earth was to mess with that part of her personality.

"I need to borrow your very precise partner," I told Whit. He's the senior paramedic - pardon me, "emergency medical technician" - for the county. So he calls the shots on scheduling decisions.

"Why?" Whit asked me warily. To be fair, he does have reason to be suspicious.

"Official SHIELD business," I said solemnly.

"Are you sure?" Whit persisted. "The last time you took Laura away on 'official SHIELD business' it turned out to be Rogue's bachelorette party."

I put a hand on my (unbeating) heart. "Attending Rogue's bachelorette party was a vital act of liaison between SHIELD and the mutant community. And this time I promise that the department will get its usual fee for loaning Laura to us."

Laura gave us both an exasperated look. "Do I have any say in this?"

"No," Whit and I said simultaneously. I needed Laura's talents and the county fire department needed the money. They were saving up for a new fire-truck, and the fee SHIELD paid the county whenever I "borrowed" Laura ran to five figures.

Rolling her eyes, Laura reached into her locker and pulled out her jacket.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Everyone likes the idea that I am now a life-saver instead of a life-taker. They believe that my new career is a sign that I'm finally leaving my past behind.

It's good that they believe that, but it's not really true. Jubes understands that. She knows that every now and then I need to go hunting.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

We were at Laura's place. It's a modest, one-bedroom house that's located about half-way between the Jean Grey school and Salem Center. The interior is psychotically neat and a Spartan hoplite would have considered it to be a tad under-furnished.

"What's the mission?" Laura asked me as she changed out of her work clothes.

"Alexandra Strella is missing," I said quietly.

Laura paused and looked at me. She was barefoot and naked from the waist up.

"She can't be in too much trouble," Laura said slowly. "Otherwise, you'd be more upset."

I shrugged. "Alex had an argument with her mom. Then she stormed out of the house."

"So she's a runaway," Laura said as she unbuckled her pants.

"Looks like it."

"Then why do you need me? For that matter, why is SHIELD interested?"

I sighed. "We don't want Alex to be noticed. And given her abilities, tracking her down might not be that easy."

Laura didn't say anything as she tossed her pants into a laundry basket. She was down to nothing but a pair of plain white panties and I was trying to keep my eyes on her face. I was sort of failing.

Then Laura looked at me again. "You're hungry," she said.

I swallowed - and tried to hide it. "I'm fine," I said flatly. "I had some blood substitute before coming here."

"Do you want me?" she asked, her green eyes meeting mine.

Damn it, Laura.

Years ago, I was turned into a vampire. And vampires are evil, murdering, assholes. For a long time, the only thing that took the edge off - that prevented me from also becoming an evil, murdering, asshole like the rest of my kind - was Logan or Laura's blood. It has something to do with their regenerative powers. When I was on their blood, I could control myself better. I could even go out in the daylight if I just made sure to bundle up.

Eventually, I learned how to get by on my own. That's another story.

But back when I didn't have a choice, Logan and Laura helped keep me sort of human. Of course, Logan always kept his distance. I didn't take blood straight from him. Instead, there was a refrigerator and in it there were red-filled bottles. Neither one of us was comfortable with anything physically closer than that.

But Laura and I...

Well...

Back when I was still a newbie vampire, Laura looked me dead in the eye as she cut open the muscle at the junction of her neck and shoulder. She made me prove to her - and to myself - that I could stay in control. Instead of tearing into her with fangs and claws, I accepted what she was offering me as a friend, not as a monster.

That sort of thing is incredibly intimate and sensual. We kept doing it, and one thing inevitably led to another.

"We don't have the time," I told Laura. And that was more-or-less the truth.

She nodded and pulled a pair of black jeans out of her closet.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

For Jubes, everything is about self-control. Given that she's a vampire, that's inevitable. Loss of control would be a disaster for her - and others.

Still, there are times when I'd wish Jubes would be less conscientious.

Nobody else can give me what she can.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

The nondescript cargo-plane that flew us out to Wyoming didn't have any SHIELD identification. If anyone checked up on it, the only thing they would learn was that it was a owned by a private transport company based out of Chicago.

Likewise, the blue and black jump-suit that SHIELD agents wear is a bit too obvious for what we were about to do. So mid-way through the flight I changed into a gray business suit, complete with sensible shoes. In addition, there are a few tricks that I've learned to do with makeup that make me look older than the seventeen-year-old appearance that I'm permanently stuck with.

I call that my "Agent Scully" look.

Once I was done, I tossed Laura a leather wallet. She caught it neatly.

"My cover is that I'm an FBI agent," I told Laura as she examined her badge. "So congratulations, you're now a consultant for the FBI."

Laura nodded as she pocketed the badge. "That means no dress code, right?"

She was wearing jeans, a long-sleeve shirt, and a pair of black tactical boots. The older Laura gets, the more she tends to dress like Logan. I kind of miss the Goth look. It made undressing her a lot of fun.

"You're fine," I assured her. "Just don't run off to live with some wolves or something."

"That was just that one time. And I had to do it to complete the mission."

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

I enjoyed my time with the wolves. It was very simple and satisfying.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

Mrs. Strella was trying not to cry.

We were in her house, which is near the downtown of Lander, Wyoming. It was a tidy, nondescript building that was over a century old. SHIELD and the X-Men set Mrs. Strella up in Lander when we found out who she was and that she had a daughter. It was decided that the best chance they had of surviving was if they remained anonymous and well off the grid.

"What did you and Alex fight about?" I asked quietly. There was a cup of coffee sitting in front of me. Of course, I couldn't drink it, but giving it to me had been something to do that was normal and orderly. Mrs. Strella needed that right now.

Mrs. Strella tiredly rubbed her face with both hands. "Boys. Makeup. Music. Clothes."

"That pretty much covers the usual mother-teenager stuff," I said with a sympathetic nod of my head. "Anything more specific?"

"There's a boy she goes to school with. His name is Jesse Harding. He's trash, but Alex worships the ground he walks on. He's missing, too. The police think he and Alex took off together."

"Tell us about him," Laura said as she drank from her coffee mug.

An exasperated expression appeared on Mrs. Strella's face. Reconstructive surgery had fixed the worst of it, but in the right light you could still see signs of the awful facial injuries she'd suffered.

"He's tall for his age, handsome, wears a lot of black, and rides a motorcycle. If you talk to him, he usually has something slightly smartass to say, but he's good at making sure it's never quite enough for you to call him out on it. He always seems to have this superior little smirk on his face. He's kind of smart, but not as smart as he thinks he is, which is why he's been in and out of trouble with the law since he was in middle school."

"In other words, he's a handsome, high-school, bad-boy straight from central-casting," I added dryly.

Mrs. Strella nodded her head worriedly. "Alex is having a hard time in school. She's smart and pretty in her own way, but since she has to be careful to hide who she is and what she can do, she doesn't fit in with anybody. Jesse latched on to her almost as soon as he saw her. He's the first boy to pay any attention to her."

Then Mrs. Strella said sadly. "It's going to kill Alex when she finds out that he's just using her."

"Does Jesse have any particular friends?" I asked.

Mrs. Strella smiled bitterly. "Oddly enough, not too many. There is a fellow named Robert Dennison. He and Jesse have known each other since they were little boys and you used to see them together all the time. But I hear they've had a falling out."

"How about family?" I asked.

"Jesse's mother took off years ago. The father is trying to take care of five kids, and it's actually working out better than you might think - except for Jesse."

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Alex and I are much alike.

However, I've always envied her. Yes, Alex's father is a monster, but at least she has her mother. And Mrs. Strella is a wonderful woman.

It bothers me that Alex doesn't understand what she is throwing away.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

Lander didn't have much in the way of a police force, but one of their detectives - a Sergeant named Mike Wiggins - was more than happy to talk to us.

"Jesse Harding?" Wiggins said slowly. "Yeah, that kid is trouble, but why do the Feds care about him? He's strictly small-time."

"Internet crime," I lied. "He might be connected with an identity-theft outfit. We'd like to talk to him."

Wiggins frowned, "Harding's into that? He doesn't seem the type."

I made a meaninglessly indeterminate gesture with my hands. "You'd be surprised how simple it is to get into that sort of thing. You don't even have to be that good with a computer - you just have to know someone who is. We don't know all the details, but we'd like to talk to him. But now we hear he's vanished with a local girl."

Wiggins made a disgusted face. "Yeah, they both disappeared around the same time. Personally, I'm hoping the girl comes to her senses and goes home. Jesse is the original bad influence."

"You said Jesse was small-time," Laura said. "What kind of small-time?"

Wiggins laughed, "You name it, but larceny and drugs tops the list. There are two reasons Jesse hasn't done real jail time. The first is because he's a juvenile and he talks a good line whenever he gets in front of judge. The second is that he makes sure that when something risky or illegal has to be done, someone else does it. We've put a few of his associates away, but he always seems to be one step removed from the crime. But I'd say his luck is running out on both scores. I'd be willing to bet that he'll celebrate his next birthday in a cell."

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

The fact that the local authorities distrust Jesse was not necessarily a mark against him. The authorities exist to maintain order. That's one of the reasons we mutants are so distrusted - our existence is a threat to the present social system.

However, Detective Sergeant Wiggins' analysis of Jesse does suggest that he is more than just another rebellious youngster.

He certainly has plans for Alexandra.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

We caught up with Jesse's father at his job in a local sporting goods store. When we asked to talk to him, Mr. Harding took a break and we went out onto a back-porch that overlooked a small parking lot. Mr. Harding's hands shook as he lit a cigarette. He struck me as a very tired man who was pretty close to the edge - and maybe a bit over it.

He was also in very blunt mood.

"Seventeen years old and now he's in trouble with the FBI? Tell you what, if you see Jesse, you tell him to not come back. He doesn't have a home with me anymore."

I tried not to react. I hadn't walked the requisite mile in Harding's shoes.

"Jesse has been a pain-in-the-ass since he first started walking and talking," Harding continued angrily as he stared out at the mountains. "I've had lots of folks tell me that he's trouble because he doesn't have a mother. That's bullshit - he was a problem long before his mom took off. You know the old argument about whether people are born bad or learn to be that way? It's settled. Jesse was born bad. My other kids are fine. The only trouble they ever get into is when Jesse talks them into something."

Then Harding took a long drag from his cigarette. He had a look in his eyes that dared us to contradict him.

"Do you have any idea where Jesse might be?" I asked neutrally.

Harding shook his head, "If I had to make a guess, he's in Denver. He's always had the idea that he'd strike it rich if he could just get out of here and to a big city."

"He's supposed to be with a girl," Laura said.

Stubbing his cigarette out on the porch railing with more force than necessary, Mr. Harding nodded. "Alexandra Strella - a good girl with a taste for bad boys. She's fallen for Jesse pretty hard. Poor kid."

"Where does she fit in with Jesse?" I asked.

Mr. Harding hesitated before answering. "That's a good question. I'm sure Jesse has some kind of a plan for her. Probably turning tricks, or moving drugs, or some such crap."

Then Mr. Harding angrily flicked his cigarette butt out into the parking lot. "If I had to make a bet, they'll both be dead in a year or two. Jesse will come up with some crooked get-rich-quick scheme and then find out that he's not the big time operator he thinks he is. Do what you can for the girl. She may have a chance if you can just get her the hell away from Jesse."

"Do you know anyone besides Alexandra who's close to Jesse?" I asked.

The smile on Mr. Harding's was bitter. "Jesse's pissed away every friend he ever had. The last of them was a boy named Bobby Dennison. But they don't get along anymore."

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

I could sense the conflicted emotions within Mr. Harding. Until now, he still had some idea that he could save Jesse.

But he gave up on his son as we spoke to him.

It was a difficult thing to watch.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

"Wow," I said softly as we walked back to our car.

Laura nodded as she glanced at me. "Nobody seems to have anything good to say about Jesse."

I shrugged. "Let's not make too many assumptions. And we still have one more lead to check out."

Laura nodded. "Bobby Dennison - Jesse's oldest friend. Or ex-friend."

"Let's go find him," I said.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

I think we will find that Jesse betrayed Bobby once he was no longer useful.

How long until Jesse does that to Alex?

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

Robert Dennison no longer bothered with the educational opportunities offered by the local high-school. From what I'd read about him, his teachers were probably relieved. We ran into Bobby just as he was getting off-shift at the local McDonalds. Bobby looked frazzled, his work clothes were spattered with grease, and his manager was angrily yelling something at him as Bobby walked out the back door.

Ah... the glamorous life of the small-town social rebel. I hoped Bobby still had a job. Bravely rebelling against The Man works better when you can pay the bills.

I wrinkled my nose as we approached Bobby. One advantage of being a vampire is enhanced senses - including a detailed sense of smell. Aside from the delicate aroma of fast food, grease, and sweat, Bobby's body odor also stank of a pharmacopoeia of medium-hard drugs. If I had to guess, Bobby only had one leisure time activity.

Bobby was big for his age. And muscular. But I could already see and smell the first signs of decay.

"I haven't done anything!" were the first words out of Bobby's mouth after I showed him a badge.

"You're not in trouble," I said. "We just need you to answer some questions."

"I'm not under arrest?" he asked slowly.

"No. We just..."

"Then piss off," Bobby said as he began to walk away.

Laura wordlessly put a hand against Bobby's chest. Bobby froze in place, his face suddenly angry. Then he made the mistake of trying to shove Laura out of his way.

A few seconds later, Bobby had a bloody nose and was sitting on the sidewalk, looking utterly surprised. Some passers-by on the other side of the street were watching in obvious amazement. A roughly-dressed middle-aged gentleman was already half-way across the street. He'd seen a large boy take a swing at a small girl and was coming to the rescue.

I held up a badge. "FBI, sir. Please go about your business."

The older fellow nodded hesitantly, then went back to his family. Talking among themselves as they stared at us, they walked away. I heard the older man tell his wife that FBI agents were apparently getting smaller and meaner.

"Let's try that again," I said quietly to Bobby. "You're going to talk to us or I'm going to get a warrant to search everything searchable that you're even vaguely connected with. We both know what we'll find. So your choices are to tell us what you know about a guy I hear you don't even like anymore, or risk that a judge will decide that you're a dealer as well as a user and decide to try you as an adult."

"What do you want?" Dennison snarled.

"I want Jesse Harding. Where is he?"

Bobby started to talk.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Bobby is steadily wandering into harder and harder drugs, doesn't have what it takes to get clean, and lives in a part of the country that is unforgiving to addicts.

He will not survive.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

It turned out that Bobby's falling out with Jesse Harding was a disagreement about money. Once upon a time, they'd been business partners. At first they just sold local ditch weed that they harvested from the outskirts of an abandoned ranch, but eventually they found a connection for harder stuff that went back to Cheyenne - and then to Denver. They didn't get rich at what they were doing, but they had more money than the other kids in town.

Then, a few months back, Jesse told Bobby that he was no longer a part of the business. Bobby objected. He objected enough to confront Jesse with a handgun.

That was when Bobby found out that Alex was more than just his former-best-friend's girl. She took away his pistol and knocked him on his ass.

That was a problem. Not only was Alex in the wind, but she was willing to use her powers in defense of her douchebag of a boyfriend. People would inevitably notice.

As a side note, it also meant that poor Bobby's ego had to be in free-fall. In between Alex and Laura, he kept getting beat-up by girls.

The list of people who might want Alex was pretty long. HYDRA, AIM, Weapon-X, and the Hellfire Club came immediately to mind. And then there were the militaries and intelligence agencies of something like two-dozen countries - including our own.

There was one more possibility. I didn't even want to think about that one.

If Alex kept using her powers, then someone would eventually realize what she was worth. That kind of information would get out quick. So the clock was ticking.

Our plane was waiting for us at a Riverton Regional Airport. I had it fly us to Denver.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Bobby was obviously Jesse's muscle. When Jesse discovered what Alex could do the same job, Bobby became unnecessary and was abandoned.

The situation with Alex is clearly out-of-control. She's using her powers carelessly.

It's only a matter of time before she's noticed.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

Sitting in the back of the plane, Laura calmly pulled off my shoes and began massaging my feet. I closed my eyes and sank into utter bliss.

"If you keep doing that, I will perform any kind of sex you want, for as long as you want," I told her.

"You're going to regret saying that," I heard Laura say. Then she lifted my leg up and kissed me on the ball of my foot. I shivered in reaction.

"What do you have in mind?" I asked.

My eyes were still closed, but I could hear the amusement in Laura's voice. "Remember that club we went to in New York city?"

I cracked open an eye and looked at Laura. "Yes," I said carefully.

"We're going back," Laura said. "And this time you'll be the one wearing almost nothing but a collar and a leash."

"Damn it, Laura. You've caught me in a moment of weakness," I sighed.

"I've been laying in wait for a long time, Jubes. I'm a predator, remember?"

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Bobby gave us a name and a phone number for Jesse's contact in Denver. Just after we landed at Buckley Air Force Base, a quick internet contact with the DEA gave us access to a computer file filled with more information.

After that, it was just a matter of following leads.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

The neighborhood wasn't the best. The house we were standing outside of could have used some paint and a new roof. The few people I could see on the street made a point of walking directly to where they were going, without looking anywhere but straight ahead.

"We're here to see Joey Terrazas," I said. Then I popped my bubblegum.

I'd ditched the Agent Scully look. Since it was well after sunset, I didn't have to worry about exposure to daylight. So now I was wearing a purple tube-top, metallic-gold shorts, and a pair of calf-length, high-heel boots. A tiny, plastic, purse finished off my ensemble. Laura was all in black - bustier, shorts, fishnet stockings, and a pair of combat boots.

In other words, we were a monument to scantily-clad bad-taste. To be even more blunt about it, we looked like a pair of seventeen-year-old hookers. It's amazing how much tart-wear you can find in a typical second-hand store.

Look, it was a disguise. According to the DEA, Jose Terrazas liked 'em young. Also, Terrazas was known to be pretty slippery and I wanted to make sure we actually got to see him in person before any badges were flashed. Otherwise, me might find ourselves empty-handed while Terrazas headed for the hills. Literally. He apparently had a number of hideouts in the mountains west of Denver. Yeah, we'd track him down eventually, but time was an issue.

The guy watching the front door was in his twenties, but the amount of extra weight he was carrying suggested that he would probably die of a heart-attack well before he turned fifty. He frowned at us as he dug a cellphone out of his pants.

"Jose?" he said into his phone. "Did you call for some girls?"

Then he frowned as he heard the response. "Yeah... two of them. A Chinese chica and a Goth-looking babe. Both are kind of cute. If you don't want 'em, I'll take 'em."

There was more from the phone.

"Who sent you?" the fat guy asked us.

I sighed and yanked my tube-top down to my stomach. "Look, is Terrazas here or is he somewhere else?"

The fat guy went kind of cross-eyed in surprise. "Uh... he's here..." he said unevenly.

Laura did a very precise high-kick that caught the fat guy right under his chin. He went down immediately.

"Ouch," I said as I reset my tube-top. Meanwhile, Laura grabbed the fat guy, hauled him off to the side, and did a quick check of his vitals.

"Fractured mandible. He'll live," Laura said tersely as she popped her claws. Meanwhile, I opened the door the fat guy had been blocking.

Inside the front room was a fairly typical distributing operation. The only person not weighing product and filling bags was Terrazas himself. Except for Terrazas, everyone working there was an elderly woman. They're good workers and easier to control. Terrazas looked just like his last mugshot - big, ugly, a shaved head, and a scatter of jailyard tattoos on his face, neck, and hands.

Terrazas still had his phone to his ear. "Hello? Miguel?" he was saying into it. He looked deeply surprised when he saw us. Particularly Laura, since she had her claws out.

I grabbed Terrazas by one arm and swung him around until he slammed face-first into a wall. His phone and some of his teeth when flying. After plucking an automatic pistol out of his pants and snapping off the hammer, I put him into a headlock.

Laura was alert for any additional armed men, but the only thing we were facing was a half-dozen wide-eyed grandmothers.

"Ladies," Laura announced calmly. "The police will be here soon. Please divide any loose money up among yourselves and leave."

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

The ladies cooperated, although I did have to supervise the division of the cash after some disagreements broke out.

Just before she left, a sharp-faced women told me that I would never find a nice man if I insisted on dressing like a puta.

Jubes thought that was very funny. Which was more than a little irritating. She's the one who always wants us to dress that way.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

Laura was talking with the last of the old ladies - it seems she didn't like how we were dressed.

"She makes me do this all the time!" I called out to the lady, doing my best to look violated.

Laura shot me an exasperated look.

Eventually the woman left, which left us alone with Terrazas.

Once he floundered his way back into consciousness, Terrazas tried to break loose, but that didn't fly. I'm a lot stronger than I look.

"Jesse Harding," I said slowly and clearly to him.

Terrazas spat a curse at us.

Laura shook her head and inserted the tip of one of her claws into Terrazas' left nostril. His eyes went wide.

"We're looking for Jesse Harding," I said.

"He's not here!" Terrazas gasped carefully, his eyes locked on Laura's clawed hand.

"We know you've talked to him," I lied. Letting Laura keep control of Terrazas, I released him and then stepped away so I could look Terrazas in the eyes.

Deep into his eyes.

Mesmerism is a vampiric talent that took me a long time to master. However, it can come in very handy. And it works best on people who've already given away their souls.

Apparently Terrazas met the qualification. He froze as our gaze met. And his will slowly leaked away and became mine.

"Jesse has something he wants to sell," Terrazas told us, his voice a monotone. "He was looking for an Asian contact. I'm supposed to get a commission if the deal goes through."

"What's he selling?" I asked.

"A mutant girl."

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

It was obvious that Jesse would eventually betray anyone who made the mistake of trusting him, but this was remarkable even for him.

I've noticed that Jubes doesn't use her more subtle vampiric abilities unless she has to. I think some of her control slips if she does that too often. The fact that she was willing to use mesmerism meant that she was getting worried.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

The details were depressingly obvious. Jesse didn't really know what Alex was worth - his asking price was ludicrously low - but he undoubtedly thought he'd hit the big-time.

The problem was, he was right. Jesse was wandering into a realm so big-time that guys like him could get killed just as an afterthought. Jesse almost certainly wouldn't survive the transaction he was proposing. He'd end up being just a loose-end that needed to be cleaned up.

"Do you know where Jesse and the girl are?" I asked.

"A hotel on east Colfax," Terrazas continued tonelessly. his eyes still locked with mine. "Just before you get to Aurora. It's called the Covered Wagon Inn."

"When's the deal going to happen?"

"Tonight - ten o'clock. Jesse is supposed to drug the girl and some guys from the west coast are flying in to pick her up."

"Who's Jesse dealing with?"

"The Snow Tiger Triad. They're out of San Francisco. But..."

Then Terrazas hesitated - which was impressive given how deeply I had him under my control.

"But?" I probed.

"The word is that the Snow Tiger is really just a front for the Hand," Terrazas finished slowly.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Ninjas.

This will be interesting.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

We handcuffed Terrazas and the fat guy to a support post on the porch and made a quick call to the cops.

"Post bail and then run," I told Terrazas after he came to his senses. "Run and don't ever stop. If the Hand figures out that you ruined their deal and catches up to you, they'll make an example of you. Believe me, you don't want that."

That was the best we could do for him. It was after nine and we had to get to Jesse and Alex before the Hand showed up.

As Laura drove, I made a call for reinforcements. SHIELD wasn't who I called first.

"None of the X-teams are able to get here in time," I told Laura. "But SHIELD is sending a tactical team from Fort Carson."

Laura shook her head. "They won't show up in time. It's just us."

I nodded. Calling the just-plain cops also wasn't an option. The Hand would slaughter them.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

The motel was two stories tall and consisted of about two dozen rooms bordering an "L"-shaped parking lot. We parked the car on the street and walked into the parking lot.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The air stank of automobiles, decayed concrete, cleaning ammonia, and desperation. The motel was a place where people who didn't have many options spent the night. However, I quickly tagged Alexandra's scent. I'd met her before, when she was younger. She smelled like a tigerish human who had a taste for cinnamon toast and very rare beef.

After doing a quick scan of the rooms, I told Laura, "Second floor. Room twenty-one."

Laura nodded slowly as she carefully examined our surroundings. My senses are better, but hers are quite good. Vampires are adequate predators, and Jubilation is better than most of her kind.

Unfortunately, the Hand is also very good at what they do. I couldn't tell if they were present - and neither could Jubes. We probably wouldn't have much warning until they appeared.

As we began walking up the stairs, I could see the manager peering at us from the motel office. He was an older Indian man who was obviously unhappy at the presence of two young and under-dressed girls on his property. Using my body as best I could to cover what I was doing, I flashed my claws at him. He blinked and retreated from the window. There were so many ways that the situation could become violent. I didn't want him to be caught in what was coming.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

I suppose I should have been mad at Laura for snickting the motel manager. After all, she might have blown our cover. But I didn't want the manager to get killed. I'm SHIELD. I'm supposed to defend people who can't defend themselves.

That's one hell of a job description for one of the undead, but life throws you some oddball curves. Suppose, a long time ago, I hadn't followed Ororo, Betsy, Rogue, and Blair back from that shopping mall where we'd first met?

Some would say that I might have been better off if I'd done just that. For one thing, I wouldn't have become a vampire. But that also meant I wouldn't have become Wolvie's friend and partner - which is really important to me.

Also, it's more than a little likely that I would have ended up dead pretty quickly. Anti-mutant feelings were in a lull back then. Today, it's all but impossible to imagine a thirteen year old mutant runaway doing lightshows in shopping malls for spare change. Pretty soon after that, things got seriously nasty and they've never really calmed down. If I had stayed where I was, the odds are pretty good that within a year or so I would have been picked off by someone. The list of possibile bad-guys was pretty long - it ranged all the way from Apocalypse down to the local neo-Purist street-gang.

We moved down the concrete walkway that connected the second-story rooms. At the door to room twenty-one, Laura and I paused and looked at each other.

We could tell that there were two people in the room.

But there was something else in the air. A distinctive chemical tang. And through the door, we could hear Alex's soft and steady breathing, while Jesse was anxiously pacing the floor.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

"Alex has been drugged," I told Jubes. I could smell the heroin - lots of it. That's what it would take to knock Alex out.

Jubes looked at me. "Nothing fancy or tricky. We get Alex out of there. Take Jesse down, but don't hurt him"

Then she paused. "We'll leave Jesse behind," she added.

I could hear the regret in her voice, but it was the best move. Jesse's relationship with Alex made keeping the two of them together very problematic.

Jubes kicked the door open.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

The doorknob and splintered wood from the frame went flying as the door crashed open.

Jesse stumbled backwards, away from the door, his eyes wide in shock. After hearing so much about Jesse, it was strange to finally get a look at him. You know what? He didn't look particularly evil. He just looked like a seventeen year old kid who had no clue that he was way out of his league.

Laura flowed past me, crouched low and moving very fast - like a leopard on the hunt. Jesse didn't even manage to draw the semi-automatic pistol he had in his belt. Laura piled into him, knocking Jesse flat. Then she drew his handgun herself and pitched it across the room.

Alex was laying on the rumpled bed, wearing nothing but a huge pair of Hello Kitty panties. I hurried over to her.

One look at Alex and you knew she wasn't the girl next door. Her hair was long and honey blonde, but had dark, linear highlights that weren't the result of hair-dye. She was over six foot tall and had a powerful build that was characterized by strongly defined muscles. If I had to guess, she was almost two hundred pounds in weight - and all of that was muscle. Seen from the back, you probably wouldn't even realize that she was a girl. You'd think she was a promisingly huge high school jock.

Alex's eyes flickered open as I sat next to her on the edge of the bed. They were dazed, dilated, and a strange shade of light brown that wandered close to being orange.

At first, Alex just blinked at me as she tried to focus. Then she smiled distantly.

"Miss Lee?" she asked.

"Hi, sweetie," I replied gently. "Yeah, it's me. Can you get up?"

Frowning in concentration, Alex then tried to sit up. A hand almost twice the size of mine grabbed my shoulder. The fingertip claws that were one of Alex's biggest secrets were still sheathed. I tried not to imagine what would happen if she suddenly extended them.

Behind us, Laura kept Jesse under control, with a hand firmly over his mouth. She was dragging him into the bathroom. I tensed as he let out a muffled moan, but Alex was so far gone that she didn't seem to notice.

I slipped an arm around Alex's body. Her body temperature was way up. I knew what that meant. Her healing factor was fighting the heroin. Then I hauled Alex up into a sitting position. Alex made a sound of protest and closed her eyes as she slumped against me. Even vampire-strong, that almost unbalanced me.

"Alex, honey, please listen to me," I begged. "We're in trouble. People are coming for us. We've got to get out of here."

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Killing Jesse was not an option.

In fact, we didn't even want to hurt him. That might set off Alex.

I had landed a heel-hand punch on Jesse's temple that left him stunned. After dragging him into the bathroom, I kicked the door shut. Then I turned the sink and shower faucets on full. There was some shampoo on a shelf. I opened the bottle and hurriedly poured it into the tub.

I had Jesse out of sight and was masking his scent and any noise he might make. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best I could manage. I didn't want Alex to react instinctively to any stimuli involving him. The Hand might show up at any moment and we couldn't fight her and them simultaneously.

Jesse was stirring. I extended one of the claws of my right hand and put it in front of his eyes.

"We don't want you," I told him. "We just want Alexandra. Stay here and be quiet and you'll go free. Get in the way and SHIELD will make sure you spend the next twenty years in prison."

Jesse stared at me angrily, but said nothing. In his eyes, I could see calculation. Instead of being frightened, he was trying to figure out how to play the situation to his advantage.

I left the bathroom, closing the door behind me. Then I used a chair to wedge the door shut.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

"Where's Jesse?" Alex asked as she blinked owlishly.

I winced to myself. Alex was finally on her feet. Even leaning on me for support, she towered over me. We were so close to completing the mission. All we had to do was get Alex out of the room, down the stairs, and across the parking lot to our car. That wasn't even two hundred feet.

"Jesse's okay," I told her reassuringly. "But we have to keep moving, Alex."

"H'okay, Miss Lee," she said dreamily.

Laura exited the bathroom and gave me a look that told me we didn't have much time. I kept Alex moving towards the door.

Then Laura frowned and quickly looped around to our side. She had her eyes on the room's door and window.

I knew what that meant.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

They were very good. The Hand was almost on us before I caught a very faint scent of finely polished steel.

They were waiting for us to come out of the door.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

I cursed softly to myself. All we'd needed was two more minutes!

I let go of Alex. She murmured something I couldn't make out as she collapsed bonelessly to the floor. Then I put myself between Alex and the door.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

We had to go on the offensive.

I lunged through the window. Drapes and broken glass trailed after me as I appeared in the midst of the ninjas who were waiting for us outside.

As I decapitated the ninja who was actually behind the window, the ninja who was between the door and the window pivoted and lashed out with his weapon. As the hot blood of the dead ninja flooded over my hands and face, it mingled with a bright sensation of intense pain as a blade sank deep into my side.

Fast. They were very fast.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

The hot and coppery scent of blood filled the air. It was like a slap in the face and I felt my fangs extend in response.

I could see that a ninja was in the gap between the door and the window. I saw the flash of his blade and heard Laura's sudden gasp of pain. And suddenly everything was visible only in shades of red.

Reaching through the door, I grabbed the ninja who'd just stabbed Laura by his shoulders and dragged him into the room. He quickly did a tricky reverse with his blade and thrust at me from behind. However, he misjudged my height and instead of spearing me through the upper chest, he grazed the side of my neck and sliced open my trapezoid muscle.

That was his last mistake. His neck snapped easily enough in my hands.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

As Jubes dragged the ninja away from me and into the room, his blade slid loose from my side. That opened the wound even further and blood began pouring out.

I ignored that. It was within the parameters of what my healing factor could manage. Aside from the obvious advantages, there is also a subtle advantage to regeneration. Once you train yourself to not react to an injury, you can act decisively while your foe is instinctively waiting for you to hesitate.

There was a whisper of movement from my right side and I immediately threw a chest-high punch in that direction. It wasn't a very artful attack, but the ninja couldn't afford to ignore my hand-blades. He parried that blow easily enough, but missed the follow-up foot-sweep that was the real attack. I caught the femoral artery of his right leg and a spray of blood jetted out.

Like a good ninja, he ignored his impending death and came at me - trying to complete his mission. But he misjudged the stability of the leg that I'd just wounded and lost a precious fraction of a second trying to recover his balance. I slapped his blade to one side and removed his hand. Both the blade and his hand flew over the walkway railing and down to the parking lot below. A left-hand thrust penetrated his skull through his eyes, and I was free to deal with other prey.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

Blood. Oh God, there was so much blood. I was starting to shiver in reaction to it all.

The dead ninja in my arms was still quivering. Swallowing hard to control myself, I threw the ninja through the doorway. There was a quick set of silver flashes as shuriken impacted into the body. They came from off to the left, which was the other side from where Laura was fighting.

Fundamentally, I'm not very good at misting. There are vampires - like that bastard Dracula - who can do it almost instinctively. However, I'm getting steadily better. And I needed to get past the door without making myself a target.

In mist form, I flowed out the door. By my count, we had three dead ninja, but I knew there were more of them in the area.

The ninja with the shuriken was readying more of them. He had his eyes on Laura and didn't notice me. I quickly flowed past him at ankle height. Then I rematerialized behind him.

Four dead ninja.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

There was almost certainly a fifth ninja - the Hand usually deploys in groups of five. I put my back to the wall and scanned for him.

Something hit the walkway between Jubes and I and exploded.

It was a flash-bang grenade. I was immediately blinded and stunned.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

He was on the roof, just above the room. But I couldn't do anything about it because the grenade had knocked me for a loop. I couldn't see or hear properly, my reactions were sluggish, and the half of my body that had been facing the grenade felt scorched.

I tried to mist, but I was too distracted. I couldn't do it.

Through the soles of my feet, I felt the thump of something landing on the walkway, right next to me. I lunged backwards, just before I felt the whisper of a quick-moving blade in front of my face. Instead of getting decapitated, I ended up flat on my back. Still blinded, I immediately somersaulted backwards.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

The wound in my side hadn't closed yet, and that was slowing me down, but Jubes was in trouble. Even through the confusing array of input all around me, I could tell there was a moving target on the walkway, and that he was attacking Jubes. Unfortunately, I didn't have a good lock on his location.

The only thing to do was throw myself in Jubes' direction. Hopefully, I'd catch our attacker before he realized that I was on the move.

I took a few rapid steps and ran into something big and solid that was now blocking the walkway.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

I kept scrambling backward as my vision slowly cleared. I was falling back along the walkway, but the sword blow that would end me never seemed to come.

Then my vision cleared and I could finally see what was happening.

Alex was standing outside the doorway to the room. She still looked dopey and confused, but at least she was on her feet. And she had the ninja by the back of his neck. She was holding him in the air at arm's length and was shaking him like a doll.

It was hard to tell because of the red hood that the Hand wears, but the ninja looked pretty surprised. Alex's attack was more powerful than sophisticated. Bits and pieces of ninja gear was flying out of the ninja's outfit as she shook him - a pair of shuriken, a dagger, another grenade, and a length of garrote wire clattered to the deck of the walkway.

Then Laura, with her claws out and blindly rushing forward into the fight, smacked right into Alex.

Alex screamed something rude and threw the ninja over the rail and out into the parking lot. He kind of splatted when he hit. Maybe he wasn't dead, but he was definitely out of the fight.

I ignored the damned ninja. He could leave and live, or stay and die, it was his choice.

Scrambling to my feet, I ran toward my girls.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

I only stabbed Alex a little.

"Dammit shit fuck OUCH!" Alex yelled as she pitched the half-concious ninja down onto the parking lot.

I winced as I carefully retracted my claws. Fortunately, Alex could regenerate. She would be fine.

Alex gave me a dazed look. "Aunt Laura? Whyd'ja stab me?"

"Sorry," I said as I tried to get my eyes to focus. "Sorry, I couldn't see and I didn't know you were in the fight. Sorry."

Jubes ran over - jumping over the body of one of the dead ninjas - to check on us.

I kept an eye on the ninja that Alex had thrown over the railing. He staggered to his feet, dazedly flipped us off, and then limped away. He was using his sword as a cane.

All in all, that part of the fight really wasn't that professional. I felt bad about that.

Then the Hand backup team - five more ninjas - came at us.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

I can remember Logan telling me about Hand tactics around the time of my fifteenth birthday.

The Hand has practices that are older than Western civilization. One of them is the two-team operation. Five ninjas do the actual attack, while five more hang back to isolate the kill-zone and watch for enemy reinforcements. With all due respect to ancient tradition, it strikes me as a dumb idea. If I were the Hand, I'd just hit the target with all of my guys at once.

The Hand also has a problem with losing fights - they don't think that's going to happen. So they always figure the first team will do the job. And in the highly unlikely event the first guys need help, the support team reinforces as necessary. But in this case, we'd wrecked the first guys so fast that the backup was actually just a second-wave attack.

So now we had two ninjas jumping down from the roof, two running along the walkway towards Jubes, and a fifth climbing up towards us on a walkway support column.

One of the guys from the roof dropped right on top of Alex.

Big mistake. Alex sort of turned into a blender. Red Hand robes and red Hand flesh and blood started flying in all directions.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Alex was a ferocious fighter, but not an experienced one. As a result, she was taking too much time with the ninja who'd jumped her. Although not dead, he was out of the fight. However, Alex was still preoccupied with him.

Another flash-bang grenade flew towards us, but this time I saw it coming. I back-handed it away - and towards the two ninjas who were running towards Jubes. It detonated just behind them.

The ninja who had been climbing up the column poked his head over the railing. He was obviously hoping that I hadn't seen him.

I cut his throat.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

The two ninjas rushing me were stunned by their own grenade, but I didn't get off scott-free. I was woozy (again!) from the shock and there were sparkling white flashes in front of my eyes. For just a split second, that reminded me of my long-lost plasmoid pafs.

Grabbing the walkway rail, I used it as support to vault feet-first into the ninjas. They had their blades up defensively as they tried to gather their senses. I accepted a nasty slash on my right leg as I kicked one of them in the face. Something crunched, his black-and-red mask deformed badly, and then he collapsed.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

The last ninja on the roof dove for me.

I dodged, but it wasn't necessary. Alex had grabbed the ninja's foot in mid-air. With an angry hiss, she swung him around and smashed him against the walkway rail. Both the rail and the ninja's back deformed. Then Alex picked the ninja up and threw him back onto the roof. A thin drizzle of blood flowed down the roof tiles and began spattering onto the walkway.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

The last ninja thrust at me. I was too close to dodge, so I tried to catch the blade between my side and my arm. It sort of worked, but the blade rammed through my bicep, grating along the bone of my upper arm. I grabbed both of the ninja's hands, stomped on his leading foot, and went in for a head butt.

He beat me to it. My head recoiled back and suddenly I was blearily seeing white again.

Okay, maybe the ninja was actually a better fighter than me. But he definitely wasn't stronger than me. I spun him around and pinned him against the wall. And, yes, that the hurt like hell with his sword still stuck in my arm.

By then I was hurt, disoriented, and there was too much blood in the air.

I went for the ninja's throat with my teeth.

Suddenly, Laura was there. She slapped me on the side of my head - hard. That made me miss my bite.

Then Laura slammed her clawed fist over my shoulder and deep into the ninja's chest as she simultaneously yanked me away.

Gritting my teeth in pain, I dragged the sword out of my arm. Collapsing into the puddle of ninja blood, it was all I could do to not begin licking it from the concrete deck.

Laura picked me up and held me until I came back to myself.

Laura always picks me up.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Alex came over and grabbed us both.

"C'mon, c'mon, we gotta get out of her! The cops are going to show!" she said frantically. Then she began dragging us to the stairs.

"Dammit, Alex, get your boobs out of my face," Jubes gasped. "I'm suffocating here."

That was the truth. Alex is much taller than either Jubes or I, and she was almost naked. And she was holding us very close as she hauled us away.

She didn't ask about Jesse.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

On the drive back to Buckley Air Force Base, my phone rang. My hand was still shaking a little as I put it to my ear. There was a deep voice on the other end.

"Agent Lee? This is Agent Coulson from Fort Carson tactical. We finally showed up at the motel. Sorry we were late."

I was bit surprised to be talking to Phil's boy. I didn't know until then that he was in Colorado Springs.

"Hey, Agent Coulson, don't feel bad. Everything developed pretty quick - you would have needed to teleport to get there in time. Sorry I didn't get back to you, but right now we're moving our principal to safety."

"That's okay, Agent Lee. We're basically just sorting out the mess. And it's a really impressive mess. We've got seven dead ninjas and blood trail indicating that three more crawled away. We also have some scared motel guests and a motel owner who tells me that a bunch of vicious girls dressed like hookers got into a fight with what he calls 'the bad guys from Japanese movies'. Oh - and we have a prisoner."

"What about him?" I asked, careful not to use any names. Alex was in the backseat of the car. She was still wearing nothing but her panties as she stared dejectedly out the window. She'd finally burned through the heroin and was more-or-less herself again. But the white noise generator on my phone made sure that even with her superb hearing, Alex couldn't make out what Coulson was telling me.

"We have that kid you mentioned - Jesse Harding," Coulson said. "What do you want us to do with him?"

That made me pause.

The simple answer was to have Coulson just let Jesse go. The Hand wasn't going to be happy with what had happened and they would want to have a talk with Jesse. The odds of him surviving that "talk" were pretty low.

You could make a pretty good argument that Jesse deserved that. And that would definitely get Jesse out of Alex's life. In fact, it would get him out of everybody's life.

But...

It's like this: years ago, I came back from one of my first missions for SHIELD and got in touch with Logan. I told him that I needed to talk with him.

Once we were alone, I told Logan that I'd killed somebody on my most recent mission.

Logan asked me if I was sure that it was necessary. I said yes - and that was true. Innocent people would have died if I hadn't killed that guy. Then we talked about the details of what happened. After I was done, Logan told me that I'd done the right thing. Those words meant the world to me.

Of course, I also saw something die in Logan's eyes when I told him that I was now a killer. He didn't want that. He didn't want it at all.

Ever since then, I've tried to be... careful.

Besides, we really couldn't bring Jesse in on any of the charges related to Alex. For their own safety, we were going to have to make Alex and her mom disappear again. They wouldn't be available to testify at a trial.

"Hold him for twenty-four hours," I quietly told Coulson. "Make sure he understands how much danger he's in. Then drop him wherever he wants."

I felt uneasy as I switched off my phone.

Jesse's luck seemed to be holding up.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

I hoped Alex had seen the last of Jesse.

When my eyes met Jesse's in the motel bathroom... what I saw there still bothered me. No soul. No conscience. What Jesse was doing to Alex didn't bother him. And he'd been skillful enough of a liar to fool Alex - a girl with enhanced senses - for months.

I was worried that we were underestimating him.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

Back at Buckley Air Force Base, the officer in charge let us wash up in one of the barracks. A hot shower was like a slice of heaven. The mess-hall was closed, but a sergeant called up his wife and she brought over some sandwiches.

Laura ate with her usual efficiency. I didn't have anything, of course.

Alex didn't seem to be hungry. She sat in a chair that was too small for her, dressed in a spare set of fatigues that were also too small for her, nibbling listlessly at a sandwich.

We'd told Alex what was going on as we drove back to the base. She didn't want to believe it, but I could tell that she actually did. You can only blind yourself to someone else's flaws for so long.

"What will happen to Jesse?" Alex finally asked us as she stared into her coffee cup.

"I'm not sure," I said. That was the polite way of saying that she'd never see him again if I had anything to say about it.

"Was he really going to sell me to those guys?" Alex continued.

Laura and I both nodded. It wasn't the first time she'd asked that question. But it ended up being the last.

Alex wasn't a loud and messy crier, but she finally began sniffling.

The sergeant's wife filled up our coffee cups and gave Alex a long and concerned look.

"Oh, honey, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

Alex just shook her head as she wiped her tears away.

"Broken heart," I quietly told the sergeant's wife.

She gave me an understanding nod.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

We were flying back to New York.

Alex and Mrs. Strella were in SHIELD custody. They would have to be moved from Lander. SHIELD didn't dare assume that their cover wasn't blown.

Hopefully, the rift between Alex and Mrs. Strella could be repaired. I thought that might be possible, but I'm not good at understanding that sort of thing. Alex certainly seemed to know that trusting Jesse and leaving her home and mother had been a mistake. Perhaps she would learn from that. Perhaps admitting that to herself would help.

Jubes was in the very back of the aircraft. We were in a SHIELD cargo plane - a C-130. She was keeping herself as far away from the crew as possible, in the darkest shadows of the cargo bay, at the very back of the aircraft.

Despite the darkness, I could see Jubes clearly. She was slumped against the fuselage, a bottle of blood substitute in her hands. She looked exhausted. The stress of the mission - all of the blood and all of the violence - had hit her hard.

I sat down next to her. Then I took the bottle from Jubes' hands, screwed the cap back on, and tossed it off to the side.

Jubes curled up against me, her arms around my body. She was shaking slightly.

Something had to be done.

I unbuttoned my blouse and unbuckled my pants. Then I kicked off my boots. Jubes nuzzled her way even closer to me. Her hand slipped inside my shirt and up against my stomach, a thumb brushing up against the underside of one of my breasts. Then I felt her gently kiss me just below my ear.

"Go ahead," I told her very quietly.

In the darkness, Jubes' eyes went hot and red and there was a white flash of fangs.

* * *

><p><em>Afterwards<em>

Jesse couldn't believe his luck.

When those SHIELD assholes told him he could go anywhere he wanted, Jesse was sure it was some kind of a trick. Just for a laugh, he told them he wanted to go to Hawaii.

The next day, a SHIELD jet dropped Jesse off at Honolulu International Airport. Then the SHIELD agent who was his escort told Jesse that it would be best if he cleaned up his act, got a job, and lived a quiet life. Otherwise, the big bad Hand would find him.

Jesse gave the SHIELD agent his favorite talking-to-authority smile. It was just this side of a smirk, not enough to give the other guy an excuse to do anything, while wordlessly letting him know what Jesse really thought of what he was saying.

Then Jesse sauntered away - as free as a bird.

He spent the next few weeks robbing tourists on the beach - Jesse discovered pretty quickly that people on vacation tended to be careless with their valuables. Jesse wasn't exactly getting rich, and so far he was spending his nights sleeping on the beach, but he was getting by. He was even beginning to build up some operating capital.

The future was filled with possibilities. The plan was to eventually figure out the local trafficking scene, and get to know the key players. Then he would find himself a niche. That was where the real money was.

And maybe, just maybe, there was still a way to make a buck off of Alex. Surely she hadn't gone back to Lander - SHIELD would find a new place for her and her mom to live. But the fact she simply existed might be valuable information to someone. And maybe he could figure out where Alex and her mom had been moved to. That was an ace in the hole that Jesse had every hope of playing some day.

The only problem so far had been a dustup with the police a few days ago. The cops were wise to the recent uptick in beach robberies. A bike cop stopped Jesse and asked him some questions. But Jesse was a good liar and had a habit to never carry anything incriminating on him unless it was absolutely necessary. So the goods Jesse hadn't been able to fence yet were carefully stashed elsewhere. Jesse gave the cop a story about being a mainland kid on vacation and the cop bought it.

Of course, if that cop had filed a report, that meant Jesse's name was now in the system.

It occurred to Jesse that maybe he should shop around for a new ID. And maybe he should have done that right after he arrived - before he had that talk with the cop.

Whatever. He'd take care of it tomorrow.

Right now, he was going to relax and enjoy another night on the beach. The weather was perfect. He'd get a few hours of sleep and then check out some of the late-night parties. A couple of the local beach honeys were beginning to notice him. It was just a matter of time until he got lucky. Jesse had always had a talent with girls. It was just a matter of telling them what they wanted to hear.

Smiling up into the night sky, Jesse dozed off.

An hour later, something woke Jesse up.

A huge guy was sitting in the sand next to Jesse. He seemed to be watching the waves.

"Hi, Jesse," the giant rumbled. He didn't bother to look at Jesse.

"Do I know you?" Jesse asked cautiously - just to keep the big guy talking. He was pretty sure the big guy was looking for a hookup, but Jesse wasn't into that.

"Nah," said the giant as he kept staring at the waves. "We ain't never met. My name is Creed. Victor Creed."

The name didn't mean anything to Jesse, but he had the feeling that it should.

"But you know my daughter," the giant added. "You tried to sell her."

Jesse scrambled to his feet and took off at a dead run.

Sabertooth didn't move. He just kept watching the waves.

He wanted Jesse to have a head start.


	2. Chapter 2

LOGAN'S ANGELS

CHAPTER TWO - BLOOD WILL TELL

_Laura_

I'd just parked my motorcycle in my driveway when my phone rang. The day shift was over and I was back home.

It was Alexandra Strella.

"Aunt Laura, I'm sorry to bother you, but there's a problem."

Alex sounded worried, but not frightened or upset.

"Alex, what's wrong?" I asked.

She told me.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

Laura is a cut-out between SHIELD and Alex. Instead of calling SHIELD and maybe talking to some agent that she doesn't know or trust, Alex talks to someone she thinks of as her aunt instead. It also reduces on the chance that someone might backtrack her cell signal to SHIELD.

I kept my mouth shut as Laura told me what was going on. She gives pretty good reports - her tendency to not say much can be a definite plus. There are some agents I work with who could learn from her.

The problem Laura described was something minor that could easily turn into something major. During a recent class, Alex and the other students had participated in a blood-typing exercise. The school Alex was attending now had a sample of her blood in storage.

"Okay, that's something to be worried about," I said when Laura was done.

"I'll take care of it," she replied.

The deal between SHIELD and the X-Men gives the X-Men a lot of latitude where Alex is concerned. Since Laura was probably going to do what she thought was best, whether I gave her permission or not, I agreed to go along with her plan.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Alex was attending Beatrice College - a small school in upstate New York. It took me a couple of hours to get there. After nightfall, I broke into a two-story building that was where the college's life sciences department had its offices and classrooms.

The plan was to replace the sample of Alex's blood with equivalent blood from an ordinary human.

I was too late. The blood samples had all been tampered with.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

When Laura reported in and told me that Alex's blood sample had been messed with, I decided on the spot that the situation had escalated from "problem" to "emergency". So I checked in with my bosses and they sent somebody to the college.

Steve Coulson is a pretty good agent. And, oddly enough, the first time I ran into him was during another case that involved Alex. Steve usual works in Tactical, but like all agents he has to rotate through other divisions of SHIELD. He's also a second-generation SHIELD agent - his father is a legend in the organization. However, I've noticed that Steve isn't too hung up on his father's reputation. Instead, he just does his job.

He paid Beatrice College a visit, pretending to be an official from the State of New York who was making a surprise safety inspection of the school's bio-science facilities.

"I found out what happened," Steve told me when he called in that evening. "Right after class, half of each student's blood sample was shipped off for testing."

I frowned. "I thought the students were supposed to do the analysis?"

"Sort of. The idea is that the students will perform a typing test with the remaining blood, then compare their results with the results from a laboratory."

"So who has the missing blood?" I asked.

"A lab in Boston. I checked and they're reputable - they even do some work for law enforcement. The college is supposed to get the results back in a day or so."

Then I asked the question that I was dreading. "How detailed is the lab analysis?"

"Very," Steve replied soberly. "The test will show that Alex is a mutant. And from there it's just a matter of someone with the right clearances checking Alex's DNA sequence against the Federal or Interpol DNA databases, and then they'll know that Alex's father is Sabertooth."

I said some bad words into the phone.

"Okay, I'll have the Boston office see if they can shut it down," I fumed. "You hang around the college and keep an eye out for trouble."

"Roger that."

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Jubes called and told me what Steve had found.

The next morning, I told Whitney - my boss in Westchester County Emergency Services - that I needed some time off. He didn't argue. I had several months of accumulated leave time.

I was back on the highway before eight in the morning.

Both Jubes and Steve still thought this was an ordinary problem, but I was suspicious.

Alex was in some kind of trouble.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

I laid the situation out for the boss.

"Alexandra Strella is taking a human biology class at her college," I said. "The other day, the professor had everyone draw a blood sample. It's supposed to be for an exercise about blood typing and the proper use of lab equipment."

Deputy Director Romanoff frowned at me. "I do not like the sound of that. Send someone to swap out Miss Strella's blood sample with something harmless. The X-Men should be more than willing to do the job."

I nodded. "Laura Kinney tried to do just that. However, when she went to the school last night, Laura discovered that half of each blood sample was gone. The next day, Agent Coulson checked the same facility and learned that the missing blood had been shipped to a lab in Boston for testing. The idea is that the results of the formal lab test would be used to check the student results after they finish their exercise. However, it turns out that the full lab test is pretty extensive."

Director Romanoff's frown got deeper. "Shut down the lab test."

"The Boston field office was going to do that - the plan was to invent a paperwork problem to delay the analysis, then swap the blood ourselves. But we were too late. The analysis had already been done, and the lab results sent out to the interested parties."

"Interested parties? Plural?"

"The professor running the exercise got an email containing the basic information he needed to grade the class exercise. Also, a research study doing a large-scale health survey got a copy of the results. That version was a lot more detailed."

"In other words, we're steadily losing control of the situation," Romanoff said disgustedly.

"Yes, ma'am," I continued, "but that's not all. I got suspicious and had the guys in tech-intel do some research. It turns out that the class exercise in question is outside funded. Across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, there are over a thousand schools who do precisely that same exercise in one or more of their classes. The funding comes from a variety of charitable organizations that support scientific and medical education. However, when you follow the money trail back from those organizations, they all end up in the same place. It's an outfit called the New American Educational Foundation."

"Who are they?" Romanoff asked suspiciously.

"An office in New York city that has an administrator, two secretaries, and a Swiss bank account. It shells out about five million a year funding that particular class exercise. They also fund the research organization that gets the lab data from those exercises. It looks like the whole thing is a big circular scam intended to generate a lot of blood and DNA data."

Romanoff was steadily getting more suspicious. "So who's funding the New American Educational Foundation?"

"It's buried kinda deep, but if you follow the money-trail long enough it surfaces in Romania. Transylvania, to be precise."

Natasha became very still as she realized what I was saying.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Steve Coulson found me just after I got to town.

Yes, Steve found me. He's that good.

I'd just parked my motorcycle on the edge of campus when I spotted him standing outside a coffee-shop. He waved at me. As I walked towards him, he vanished into the shop.

I walked inside. It was a typical just-off-campus location. A dozen students with laptops, books, and serious expressions were scattered around the room, studying.

"Hello," Steve said quietly. He was sitting at a table located just inside the door.

Before I could sit down, the girl who was running the shop put a pair of coffees on the table.

"Two Americanos to-go, black, no sugar," she said as she looked at us warily. I'm actually older than Steve, but it doesn't look that way. And we're obviously not related. She was wondering why a man in his twenties was meeting someone who looked like she wasn't yet out of high school.

I picked up my coffee and took a sip. Steve waited for me to speak. He has a long face and a tall, slender build. He looks a lot like his father, but he's broader at the shoulders and has more hair. He normally works in SHIELD's Tactical division. Actually, I enjoy working with Steve. He's very professional and capable. And I like the way that he is always perfectly correct around me - while I can tell how much he really wants me.

There was a slight pause as Steve considered what he was about to say. "I'm supposed to be watching out for any strange people who might show up in town."

I tried not to smile, but couldn't help myself. "Am I a strange person?"

Steve finally smiled back. "Yeah, but I think we both need all the help we can get."

There was something about his tone of voice. "Why?" I asked.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

Laura left a message that she was heading back to Beatrice college.

Then Steve sent word that he had seen Laura and was going to contact her.

So Laura and Steve were going to be working together.

The two of them have some history. Okay, it was dumb, but I couldn't help feeling a little jealous. And that was just plain silly on my part. Laura and I aren't exclusive. Our jobs keep us apart most of the time and we both agreed long ago that it was okay to see other people.

Maybe it's because Steve is a little too close to home. He's another SHIELD agent.

I gave Steve an update on the situation - and some new orders.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

"We walked back the money-trail," Steve told me. "This whole thing is coming out of Transylvania."

There was a long pause as I absorbed that.

"Vampires," I finally said.

"That about covers it," Steve replied.

"What now?" I asked as we walked out the door. We were both carrying our coffees.

"New orders," Steve said. "We contact Alex and sit on her until extraction. We have to get her somewhere safe until we can figure out what's going on here."

I nodded. Getting Alex to safety had been my plan as well.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

Piloting a VSTOL utility transport, I took off from the helicarrier. Thanks to more than a little good luck, the carrier was just off the Jersey coast when this mess popped up. I was only an hour away from Alex's school.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

"This is a big operation," I said thoughtfully. He'd explained what SHIELD had discovered about Alex's blood-typing exercise.

Steve nodded. He was now consistently keeping closer to me than normal. It was a subconscious reaction on his part. He wanted to protect me. That was simultaneously amusing and endearing.

"And since it's coming out of Transylvania, that means it's not just any vampire," Steve said.

"Dracula," I said flatly. The King of Vampires doesn't tolerate competitors in his ancient homeland. You serve him or you die.

Alex's dormitory was a three-story, red-brick, building that was surrounded by ancient oaks. We caught some odd looks as we entered. A heavy-set boy at the reception counter blinked in surprise as Steve - not even breaking stride as he flashed his SHIELD badge - walked past and headed for the stairs.

The time for subtlety was gone. We had to get to Alex as quickly as possible and then get her out of there before nightfall.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

At the moment, there was no way to know for sure what was going on, but we had two reasons to hurry. The first was Dracula - we had no idea what he was up to, but nobody liked the idea that he now had information that we'd rather keep secret. The other reason, of course, was Alex's father. We didn't know if Sabertooth even knew about Alex, but the information linking them was now out there.

Maybe Victor Creed didn't know about his daughter. And if he did, maybe he didn't care. However, I wasn't willing to take that chance.

I took the time to make a quick phone call to the Jean Grey School and let the X-Men know what was happening.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

I frowned at the door to Alex's dorm-room. Steve was about to knock on it.

"There's somebody with her..." I began.

Suddenly, a sharp cry came from within the room.

Instead of knocking, Steve drew his sidearm and kicked the door open.

"Everybody freeze!" Steve roared.

Inside the room, two naked bodies were intertwined on the bed. And two wide-eyed faces were staring at us in surprise.

"...and it's Jimmy," I finished.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

"You're kidding," I said into the cockpit comm system.

"No," Laura responded. "Jimmy Darkholme is here. He was with Alex in her room."

"Doing what?" I asked. Jimmy was going to M.I.T. - which is some distance from Beatrice College. And I hadn't heard that the two of them were friends.

There was a slight pause before Laura answered. "He says he is helping Alex study for her bio-chemistry class. She was having problems."

In the background, I could clearly hear Steve yelling, "And put your damn clothes on!"

Oh.

"How long has this been going on?" I asked.

"No idea," Laura answered.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

I pocketed my phone. Jubes would be here soon.

James Charles Darkholme - Jimmy - is Logan and Raven's youngest son. He's tall and has the lean and wiry build of a long-distance runner. His skin is a shade of blue that's lighter than Raven or Kurt's. He wears his long, black hair in a ponytail and his eyes are very much like Logan's. When you get down to it, he's a very handsome young man.

Alexandra Strella is taller than Jimmy. She's powerfully built and has long, blonde hair streaked with dark, linear stripes. Her eyes are tawny orange, but she normally wears a pair of cosmetic contact lenses to disguise them. She has an exotic look about her that is quite attractive in a way that is difficult to define. Those who meet her sometimes say that Alex reminds them of a lioness.

They both looked good without any clothes. Like a pair of athletes.

Steve was insisting that they put on some clothes. Alex angrily pulled on a hoodie while Jimmy hopped into his pants. I noticed that Alex couldn't quite look at Steve.

I sat down on the bed next to Alex. Alex sighed, met my eyes, and took my hand. Together, we watched Jimmy and Steve bristle at each another. Before anything else could be accomplished, some testosterone had to be vented.

"You understand that we're trying to keep Alex's identity a secret?" Steve growled at Jimmy.

"I use an image-inducer whenever I visit," Jimmy replied irritably.

"And what happens when it goes on the fritz while you're walking across campus?" Steve snarled.

"Steve," I interrupted. "Jubes is going to be here soon with a utility transport. Could you go clear a spot for it to land?"

Still glaring at Jimmy, Steve gave a quick nod of his head and left the room. He slammed the door behind him, but the latch was destroyed and it swung back open again.

"What's his problem?" Jimmy asked me angrily.

I shrugged. "Steve remembers when you were both children, Jimmy. And he's just found out that you're not children any longer. That bothers him. Steve is also very defensive about Alex. He's worried that you might be using her."

Alex rolled her eyes, but I could tell she really wasn't angry at Steve.

By now, Jimmy was calming down. He doesn't have either his father or mother's temper and he tends not to remain angry. He pulled a wooden chair away from the desk and sat down.

"It isn't like that," he said quietly.

"I know," I replied. "And Steve does too. He just needs some time to adjust."

There was a long pause.

"When did this start?" I asked.

"Last year," Alex said calmly. "We started talking at the mansion's Christmas party. I told Jimmy I was having problems in school. He offered to help."

I nodded. "Well... he's definitely helping you with basic human anatomy."

Jimmy flushed. "Like I told you before, I came here to help Alex with her bio-chem homework!"

"That's true," Alex added helpfully. "The booty-call was just a fringe benefit."

For a moment, I teetered on the edge of telling Alex to never use the phrase 'booty-call' around me again. It was a very Steve-like reaction.

"Aunt Laura - what's going on?" Alex asked. "And why is Jubilation on the way? Is it about that blood thing?"

I explained.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

As I flew in, I could see a large lawn in front of the dormitory where Alex was staying. I could even see Steve and some guys in uniforms - campus cops, I assumed - rushing people away so I would have a clear spot to land.

I landed the utility transport in that open space. Steve was waiting for me when the rear cargo bay doors slid open. The transport's cargo chief had an assault rifle locked and loaded and was guarding the back as I clattered down the cargo ramp. A large and growing crowd of curious students was watching the scene. The campus cops were keeping them at a distance.

"Laura is with Alex in her dorm room," Steve reported. I could tell he was pissed off.

"Ease up," I told him as we began walking across the lawn and towards the dormitory. "We're not the sex-police."

Steve gritted his teeth, but nodded in agreement.

"So you literally caught them in the act?" I couldn't resist asking.

Steve nodded curtly.

"They're old enough, Steve," I reminded him gently.

Steve let out a sigh. "You know, it seems like just the other day we were moving Alex and her mom from Wyoming to Maine. Alex was a hurt high-school kid who had a 'Hello Kitty' blanket on her bed, a 'Lion King' poster on her wall, and a worn-out stuffed panther she called 'Mr. Claws'. I was on their protective detail while Alex and her mom settled in. Alex wasn't sure about me at first. By the end of the month, I'd taught her how to fish and we were spending our days at the beach."

"She wasn't a virgin even back then," I pointed out to Steve.

"And Jesse Harding was just a great way for her to learn about men," Steve replied stubbornly. "I still think I should have dropped that little creep out of the plane somewhere between San Diego and Honolulu."

"Do you know Jimmy Darkholme at all?" I asked.

"No."

"He's a good kid, Steve," I said - and I meant it. "I can't tell how everything will work out for Alex and Jimmy. But I do know that Jimmy is nothing like Jesse."

"You ever notice how on one hand we say that they're old enough to have sex, and then the next second we're calling them kids?" Steve pointed out.

Okay. He had a point.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

By now, Alex and Jimmy were fully dressed. And Alex was becoming rebellious.

"So I'll have to move and start all over again?" she growled at me. She was obviously unhappy with that. She'd told me before that she was enjoying college.

Sabertooth - Victor Creed - is Alex's father. Years ago, he raped and almost murdered Alex's mother. Nine months later, Alex came into the world.

Then SHIELD and the X-Men made a deal, both organizations pooling their resources and expertise to keep Alex and her mother safe. Keeping them safe meant keeping them hidden. Sabertooth has had other children. He's killed them all.

The lives of Alex and her mother were limited by the need to hide from Alex's father. It was only natural for Alex to resent the fact that she'd been hiding for her entire life. And this would be the second time in just a few years that she and her mother found it necessary to abandon their old lives and take on new identities.

I paused for a moment, thinking about what Alex had said.

For so many years, the only plan we ever had for Alex was to keep her hidden. That plan was obviously breaking down. It was time for another plan.

"Alex," I said quietly. "There's another option. Have you considered going to the Jean Grey school?"

Alex made a face. "You're welcome to bring that up with my mom."

I'd made that suggestion before. Mrs. Strella was adamantly opposed and I couldn't blame her. Mrs. Strella's only goal in life was to keep her daughter safe from Sabertooth. She was terribly afraid and saw hiding as the only option. Having Alex go to the Jean Grey school was too public of an option for her.

But the situation was changing. Alex was growing up.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

We weren't really too worried that we'd run into any opposition. It hadn't been long - just a day - since Alex's blood sample was analyzed. And our most likely source of trouble was Dracula's organization. Since it was early afternoon, we weren't likely to bump into any vampires.

You see, there are only two day-walking vampires on Earth. One of them is a complete asshole named Blade.

I'm the other one.

How do I do that? Well, that's a long story that involves years of drinking Logan and Laura's blood. Their blood takes the edge off of being a vampire and gives me the ability to day-walk. But despite that, I'm still not at full strength when the sun is up. Everything feels... kinda hazy and off.

Fundamentally, I'm still a creature of the night.

Still... I should have considered the possibility that even though we weren't likely to go nose-to-nose with a vampire, that didn't mean the blood-suckers didn't have any options.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

"I'll talk to your mother," I told Alex.

Alex just snorted. She was sitting on her bed, putting on a pair of tennis-shoes. Alex wasn't wearing socks and I could see that her toenails were thick and sharply elongated. They were clearly not normal and I assumed that she never went barefoot or wore sandals in public.

With the proper training, Alex could learn how to use her foot claws in combat. I could teach her.

"I've been thinking of taking a teaching job at the school," I continued. "We could go there together."

"You already have a job," Alex said. She was obviously surprised. "And you love being an EMT."

"I'll quit," I responded.

Alex smiled at me. She was calming down, which was good.

"Are you offering to quit your job just to get me to go to the Jean Grey school?" Alex asked suspiciously.

That was an awkward question. Then Jimmy - deliberately, I suspect - provided an immediate distraction.

"The school is closer to M.I.T.," Jimmy said with a thoughtful frown. He was standing next to the window, looking out at the landed utility transport. "We could see each other more often."

Then I caught an unnatural scent.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

My senses aren't quite as good as Laura's, but they're much better than an ordinary human. I knew we had a problem as soon as we pushed through the crowd of students standing on the dormitory steps and entered the dorm itself. Outside, there were too many people and my senses were overloaded. Inside, I had a better lock on the situation.

"Trouble!" I yelled to Steve as I began running towards the stairs.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

There was somebody at the door to Alex's room. I moved to block it.

In the hallway, a slender youngster - maybe sixteen years old - was looking at me. He was wearing nothing except a tattered pair of jeans. His brown hair was tangled and wild, and he had dark eyes that were filled with both resignation and determination.

He held up a picture that I recognized. It was a blown-up copy of Alex's photo from her college ID card.

"Give her to us and you'll live," the boy said calmly. I distantly noted that he had a deep voice for his age.

Time seemed to slow.

Behind me, I heard the familiar "snikt" as Jimmy extended his claws. Alex shifted position - moving next to Jimmy.

The boy didn't allow himself to be distracted by the movement behind me. His eyes didn't leave mine. That was a sign of either worrisomely good instincts or worrisomely good training. And I could tell that out of sight, on either side of the door, the boy had companions.

I knew what he was.

"You can't have her," I told the boy.

He didn't seem surprised by my answer. And he didn't seem intimidated.

"Don't do this," I told him quietly.

He didn't hesitate.

One second I was talking to a scrawny and half-dressed boy.

The next, a two-hundred pound werewolf was crashing into me.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

The howls of a hunting pack of werewolves echoed down the stairway. Based on the roars and the mixture of scents, there was at least a half-dozen of them.

The stairs were filled with students. Most were frozen in surprise. Some were beginning to run - they were the smart ones.

Steve and I pushed our way through the crowd.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

I'd hoped to block the door long enough for Alex and Jimmy to escape through the window. That plan failed immediately. The boy-werewolf was too powerful - his charge forced me into the middle of the room. Behind him, his fellow werewolves eagerly entered the room, following their pack leader.

And instead of running, Alex and Jimmy joined the fight. No matter how different they might be from their fathers, they were still their father's children. Ferocity was in their blood.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

Steve and I ran into the first werewolf as soon as we got to Alex's floor. He was guarding the stairway, pacing back-and-forth on backward-bent legs.

When he saw us, the werewolf let out a howl that was both a challenge to us and a warning to his pack-mates.

Steve began firing. Instead of shooting for center-mass, he aimed high. Bullets slammed into the werewolf's chest and shoulders. At least one impacted into his cheek and another tore through the werewolf's right ear. All the shots did was rock him backwards. I could see the wounds regenerating. Steve didn't have silver bullets.

Steve was shooting high for a reason - he was giving me the space I needed to come in low. I took the hint and tackled the big fuzzball around the legs. The impact didn't have any effect. No matter what, I still only weigh just over ninety pounds. But then I brought my full strength to bear and stood up, unbalancing the werewolf onto his back. Through it all, I was dimly aware that he was using his claws to rip open my back.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Within seconds, Alex's room was demolished. Three feral mutants and five werewolves can very quickly create an incredible amount of damage.

All of us were regenerating as we fought. The floor and walls were splattered with blood.

It's not easy, but there are ways to kill a regenerator. In a long fight, it's possible to overload a healing factor by inflicting massive trauma. And decapitation is always a very final answer.

However, I wasn't trying to kill the werewolves. So the fight in the room was pointless. The nature and place of the battle had to change.

Alex was just behind me, fighting two werewolves at once. I double-slashed my current opponent across the face and blinded him. Then I crouched low and ran backwards until my back struck Alex at thigh level. A werewolf lunged forward and tore at my calf and thigh, trying to drag me away. I kicked him through the skull with my other foot-claw and disengaged. Twisting around Alex's legs, I grabbed her by the waist and used my body as a fulcrum to take her off balance and pitch her out of the window.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

We finally got past the werewolf who'd been guarding the stairs. He had a half-dozen bullets in this head and chest and I'd broken his legs and arms. He'd recover, of course, but it would take a while.

Steve's face was grim as he reloaded his handgun. He'd used two magazines already. I didn't know how many he was carrying, but standard SHIELD issue was four - including the one in the weapon. I have a lot of respect for Steve's ability in a fight, but if he got too close to a werewolf, he'd be torn apart in no time.

"Stay here!" I ordered.

"No!" he yelled back.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

The werewolf whose skull I'd punctured was slowly staggering to his feet - penetrating cranial injuries take longer than normal to regenerate. One of the werewolves who had been fighting Alex was off-balance and I ripped open his throat. That left two werewolves momentarily out of the fight.

I reached for Jimmy, planning to pull him out of the window with me. Then he surprised me by turning, tackling me around the chest, and taking us both out of the window.

The three werewolves who were still immediately active didn't hesitate. Two of them clawed and ripped at Jimmy and I as we fell to the ground. The third was just behind us.

Then there was a brilliant white light and a tremendous roar as the trailing werewolf was hit by a lightning bolt. All of us on the ground were blinded and deafened by the intensity of the blast.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

It looked like the cavalry - me - had arrived just in the nick of time.

Just before I headed upstate, Ororo had been ladylike enough to give me a quick loan of her powers.

Alex twisted around in midair like a big cat and hit the ground in a graceful crouch. Then, right after her, a wild tangle of a fight that consisting of Jimmy, Laura, and two werewolves came flying out of the window. I swear to God that you get see a nimbus of misty blood trailing behind them.

Studious and mild-mannered Jimmy had his claws out and was fighting just as ferociously as his aunt and the two werewolves. For a split-second, I wondered what Logan would think of that. He's never said it out loud, but I know he's happy that Jimmy hasn't shown any interest in the bloodier part of the family business. When you get down to it, Jimmy is a lot more like Hank than Logan. And I think Logan likes it that way.

A third wolf-boy dove out the window - all sinewy grace and good form as he followed the fight to the ground.

I lit him up with a blast of lightning. A steaming lump hit the ground in a graceless heap.

Through the mostly broken window to Alex's room, I could see two more furries staggering to their feet. One of them was just about to jump down and join the fight below.

I shoved a room-sized hurricane through the window.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

There was a ferocious CRACKA-BOOM! and a flare of bright white light poured out of the door to Alex's room.

Steve and I both froze.

Then the atmosphere howled in violent protest just before the wall of Alex's room exploded out into our hallway.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

The last time I fought blind, I accidentally stabbed Alex. Fortunately, the current situation - while confused - was not as bad as that. A stunned werewolf was lying on right on top of me and the possibility of error was nil.

I drove all four of my hand claws into his lungs and then twisted my wrists to open the wounds.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

Laura was giving the were-guy who'd made the mistake of landing on her a truly miserable time. Alex and Jimmy took longer to get it together, but they got a second werewolf in between them and began tearing him to pieces. There was no sign of the two werewolves who been in Alex's room.

I was out of safe targets.

The werewolf I'd hit with a lightning bolt twitched once.

I hit him again.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

In the tumble of shattered mortar, broken cinderblock, and Alex's personal belongings, there were two stunned werewolves. It was sheer good luck that Steve and I hadn't been caught in the worst of the blow-out. As it was, we'd both been knocked flat. Steve was bleeding from a half-dozen cuts and I had a broken arm.

Holding on to each other, we painfully dragged ourselves upright. I was trying not to scream as my broken arm reset itself. The thing about regeneration that not too many people understand is that it comes with the price tag of incredible pain.

Steve carefully shot one of the downed werewolves in the back of the head. I used my good arm to pick up the second werewolf by the scruff of his neck and began slamming him face-first against an intact part of the hallway wall.

There was no sign of Alex, Laura, or Jimmy.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

The goal was to get Alex to safety.

With Rogue providing support, the fight had tilted decisively in our favor. However, killing or capturing werewolves was of secondary importance. It was vital not to lose sight of the goal.

The werewolf who had landed on top of me was gurgling for air as his lungs filled with blood. I twisted out from under him and lunged towards Alex and Jimmy. My vision was spotty, but I could see that they were engaging another werewolf.

I tackled the werewolf who was between and Alex and Jimmy at knee level and slashed apart the analog to his Achilles tendons. That knocked him down.

"Go!" I yelled as I pointed to the SHIELD transport.

Instead of leaving, they both hesitated.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

Kids nowadays. They just don't know how to mind their elders.

Okay, to be fair, Alex and Jimmy obviously didn't want to abandon their Aunt Laura. I could respect that. They're both good kids.

But we had a mission to accomplish.

I slammed an off-kilter wind-shear effect across the lawn. It blew Alex and Jimmy end-over-end in the rough direction of the transport.

Laura and her werewolf clung to each other in terror until the wind passed.

You know, I really like being a weather goddess.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

The action was obviously outside.

For the moment, the two werewolves who had been blown out of Alex's room and into the hallway were down for the count. Steve and I picked our way through the debris and peered out through a gaping hole that I think was once a window in Alex's room.

I expected to see Ororo outside. Instead, I saw Rogue.

"That explains all of the blunt-force weather," Steve said dryly.

I nodded in agreement. When Rogue borrows Ororo's powers, she's nowhere near as precise as Ororo.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

The werewolf I was grappling with threw me off of him and began crawling away. After a few yards, his legs healed enough so that he was able to stagger to his feet

I didn't pursue. Instead, I followed Alex and Jimmy.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

I carefully took to the air. I'm nowhere near as good at wind-riding as Ororo. Hovering is particularly difficult. You have to create a stable whirlwind underneath yourself and position your body exactly above it. Do it wrong and you get thrown into the next county.

But I needed to get some altitude so I could overwatch the situation.

Jubilation and - surprise - Steve Coulson were standing in the hole that used to be Alex's room. They were covered with dust and looked a little worse for the wear.

I gave them a cheerful wave.

Jubilation made a rude gesture in my direction.

"Excuse me for saving your skinny ass!" I yelled at her.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

Okay, to be fair, Rogue was right. The fight was pretty iffy until she showed up. And weather powers are powerful and hard as hell to control. Even Ororo has problems at times.

For the moment, the situation had stabilized.

Rogue was in the air and had a good view of the situation - and a lightning bolt ready for anyone who became a problem. Two of the three werewolves on the lawn were running away, and the third was lying in a crumpled heap. He looked like a dog who'd been hit by a truck and then barbecued. Alex and Jimmy were entering the SHIELD transport. Laura was following them.

I got on my comm and contacted the cargo chief who was guarding the utility transport.

"Chief, Laura Kinney is coming aboard," I said into the comm. "Let her take the controls."

"Yes, ma'am," the chief responded.

I hate it when people call me "ma'am".

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

I was flying the SHIELD transport.

Everyone was aboard and we were on our way back to the helicarrier. Jubes and Rogue had come close to arguing over whether we should go to the school instead. The fact we had a prisoner settled the issue in favor of the helicarrier. SHIELD was better equipped to handle him until we sorted everything out.

All of the werewolves had gotten away - except for one. He was the werewolf who had absorbed two lightning bolts from Rogue. He was in heavy-duty SHIELD restraints and his healing factor was helping him to recover from the damage he'd taken.

Everyone was unhappy with what we were seeing as he recovered. The werewolf was a painfully skinny blond boy. He was perhaps thirteen years old.

He was also naked. Rogue quickly tossed her jacket over him.

Alex was sitting next to the boy. "What's your name?" she asked him quietly.

"Billy," he said nervously. He was obviously frightened. Werewolves get skittish and less aggressive when they've become separated from their pack.

"Billy what?" Jubes asked. She was sitting across from him.

The boy shook his head quickly - almost panicked. "I don't have a last name! I don't! I'm just Billy! Just Billy! And I'm a good boy!"

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

Cripes. He was just a freaking kid. He should be home playing Call of Duty, throwing a football around with his friends, riding a bike all over town, and trying to figure out what the deal was with girls.

What the hell was he doing in a werewolf pack?

It was then that I suddenly realized who we were dealing with. As strange as it might sound, the X-Men have a history with the supernatural. We've had to learn something about it just to survive.

I said the name out loud, and Billy cringed at the name of his mistress.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

The Lady of Hounds.

Her real name is Isolde Gagnon. She's a French vampire who had been born in the early 17th century. Her long-dead father was a well-known breeder and trainer of animals - especially dogs.

Even as a vampire, Isolde was still continuing the family business. She had a reputation as something of a collector of supernatural beasts. Rumor had it that she did experiments on human and animal subjects with vampire and werewolf blood.

And apparently she had a collection of child-soldier werewolves.

Gagnon's relationship with Dracula was uncertain. Some sources said that he was her boss. Others that she was an independent. Some even said that they were lovers.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Even before the fight started, I knew that the werewolves were children. The one I'd talked to was the pack Alpha. He was probably the oldest.

It might have been difficult to tell from a distance, but I wasn't trying to kill the werewolves. But as the fight intensified, it became increasingly obvious that wasn't working.

Thankfully, Rogue showed up just in time.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

I took the shackles off the kid. Maybe that wasn't a hundred-percent smart, but if a plane full of X-Men and SHIELD agents couldn't handle one under-aged runt of a werewolf then it was time for all of us to find a different line of work.

Billy cringed away from me all the while - as if he expected me to beat him.

"Don't be scared, sugar," I promised him. "We aren't going to hurt you."

The kid started sobbing in relief. Then grabbed my gloved hands and kissed them.

"Thank you! Thank you!" he said over and over.

I didn't know for sure what had been done to the boy, but it wasn't good.

Now I was pissed.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

We were on the helicarrier. Billy was somewhere below decks. By now he had clothes on his back and a medic had checked him out.

He was also in a cell and a half-dozen guards were watching him. The guards were armed and authorized to use lethal force. I didn't like that. Nobody liked that. But for right now, we didn't have much of a choice.

Laura was in the detention block with Billy - just to make sure nothing went wrong.

We were sitting around a conference table. And just about everyone was in a state of quiet rebellion.

"Dammit, Natasha, you guys don't know how to handle him!" Rogue said tightly. She wasn't yelling - yet. But when the quiet rebellion became not-so-quiet, I knew that Rogue would be leading the way.

Alex and Jimmy were keeping quiet, but I could tell that they agreed with Rogue.

Hell, I agreed with Rogue.

Deputy Director Romanoff met my eyes. Then she glanced at Steve. Then she looked back at Rogue.

"You're right," she said. "SHIELD isn't a daycare center. And the X-Men have more experience handling children - particularly children with powers - than we do."

Which was the one thing Rogue hadn't expected, and that put her totally off-kilter. The Black Widow might not do much field-work any longer, but she still had a bite.

Jimmy wasn't saying anything, but his phone was on the table before him. I could see that it was set to dial Matt Murdock. The X-Men call that "dropping the M-bomb." I tried not to smile. In his own way - quiet and studious - Jimmy could be just as ruthless as his mother and father.

I was more than a little proud of him.

"But there are details to sort out the first," Romanoff continued.

Rogue nodded suspiciously. "Okay. Do you have a full name for him yet?"

Romanoff nodded. "William Thomas Baumer. His parents were killed in a car wreck two years ago. Their car drove off a bridge and into a river. William was in the car with his parents, but his body was never found. Until now, the police assumed that he was washed away by the current."

"Does Billy have any other family?" Alex asked suddenly, her eyes full of concern. If you ignored the fact that she was well over six-foot tall and has the rippling muscles of an NFL running back, Alex seemed almost like a worried little girl.

Romanoff glanced at some paperwork on the table in front of her. "There's an uncle - Edward Dale Baumer. He's currently in the Marines and is stationed in West Africa. He's a Gunnery Sergeant and a life-long bachelor. We're trying to contact him. Everything about his record says he's a good man to have at your back in a fight. Whether or not he would make a good father is another question."

"We'll help Billy," Alex said immediately. Rogue glanced at Alex and I saw the ghost of a smile flicker across her face.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

"Hi," I said.

Billy looked carefully at me through the bars of his cell. "Hi."

I was in the helicarrier's detention facility. As a cage goes, Billy's wasn't too bad. It was clean and well-lit. There was a bunk with a blanket and a pillow. And a toilet.

I've been in worse. And I suspect Billy had as well.

There were six guards in the room - a standard SHIELD half-squad and a sergeant in charge. They were wearing full body armor and carrying shotguns. The shells in the shotguns were frangible silver slugs.

"You said you don't have a last name. Why is that?" I asked.

I could smell Billy's fear. Literally. Fear has a distinct odor. It comes from certain hormones and other body chemicals. Deep down inside, a part of me stirred hungrily. It's never a good idea to be frightened around something like me.

"Dogs only have one name," Billy said. That was obviously a rote reply. He was avoiding my eyes. His body language was subdued and non-confrontational. It was hard to remember what he could become. At one point in the fight in Alex's room, he almost got me by the throat with his jaws. That would have been bad.

"You're not a dog," I replied.

"Yes, I am," Billy said with utter assurance.

A SHIELD guard - a big, burly guy whose name-tag said "Peterson" - entered the block and walked over to Billy's cell. He was carrying a tray.

"Okay, kid, dinner time," Peterson said as he slid the tray into the cell. "One grilled ham and cheese sandwich, celery with peanut butter, sliced tomato, a box of milk, a bottle of water, and one package each of salt and pepper. No utensils. Anything you don't eat, I take back to the kitchen."

The food vanished very quickly and there was nothing to take back. Billy was a messily efficient eater.

Peterson seemed surprised. "Christ almighty, kid! When was the last time you ate?"

"This morning," Billy said as he licked his fingers.

"Whad'ja have?"

"Dog food."

Around me, the guards stirred.

"When's the last time you had... uh... people-style food?" Peterson asked.

Billy seemed to think about that.

"Before I found out I was a dog," he finally said.

"Ya still hungry, kid?" Peterson asked slowly.

"Yeah!"

Peterson looked at the sergeant in charge of the guard detail.

"Another milk and half a sandwich," the sergeant ordered. "We don't want him getting sick."

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

I didn't like any of what I was hearing from Laura.

"He's been heavily indoctrinated," she told us. "His training obviously involved severe physical and psychological abuse. He believes that doing anything wrong - no matter how minor - will result in punishment. And he doesn't think of himself as really human any longer."

Jubes picked it up from there. "The shrinks warned me that he'll probably never fully recover."

"As near as can be determined, the Lady of Hounds purchased Billy from a human trafficking ring," Laura added. "How he went from being a missing accident victim to an organized crime commodity is unknown. SHIELD has notified the FBI that there is a problem."

I rubbed my eyes tiredly. "And there's five more just like Billy out there."

"Five that we know about," Jubes suggested. "There could be more."

"We have to save them," Alex said tensely.

Jimmy frowned thoughtfully. "We're forgetting something."

We all looked at Jimmy.

"What does this have to do with Alex?" Jimmy continued. "And why is the Lady of Hounds running a continent-wide operation that's collecting blood analysis data?"

Alex beamed at us. "Isn't he so darned cute when he's smart?"

"Tell you what," I told Jimmy as I pulled out my phone. "Let's track down the Lady of Hounds and ask her ourselves just what the hell she's up to."

"We could interrogate Billy for more information," Laura suggested. She didn't seem too happy about the idea, and I knew why. In the long run, we wanted Billy to trust us, not be frightened of us.

Fortunately, there were other options. One of things about being an X-Man and an Avenger is that you end up with some pretty interesting folks on speed-dial.

Someone picked up on the other end.

"Doctor Strange's residence. This is Wong speaking. How may I help you?" said a familiar voice.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

Rogue made a phone-call. Then, in a puff of other-wordly smoke and a swirl of a red and gold cape, Doctor Strange appeared right in our conference room.

I sighed to myself. So much for the helicarrier's extremely expensive anti-teleportation defenses. I used the intercom to stop the inevitable security freak-out.

"Hello, everyone," the Doc said politely. He was maybe a little grayer than I remembered, but still very distinguished looking. Well, it's not like any of us were getting any younger. And I was the only person in the room actually immune to aging.

Rogue and the Doc exchanged smiles and gave each other a hug that lasted about a second longer than some folks - not me, of course - might have thought was strictly proper. Rogue has always had a thing for mysterious and dangerous men. And men of all types always seem to have a thing for Rogue.

Then Doc Strange greeted the rest of us. Laura was politely reserved - as usual. Alex was surprised and unsure. Jimmy was obviously impressed.

As Doc Strange shook my hand, I could see that look in his eye. It was the look certain people get when they haven't seen me for a while. They're trying to decide if it's finally time to put a stake through my heart.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

"I won't be able to find the Lady of Hounds for you," Doctor Strange said after some thought. "Elder vampires are skilled at concealing their mystical signature. It's one of the reasons they are elder vampires."

Jubes and Doctor Strange exchanged a glance. I am not sure what that meant. They were superficially polite, but I could tell that they were wary of each other.

"However, I can find your werewolves," Doctor Strange finished.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

Stephen explained what he needed. Then Jubes took us all down to where Billy was locked up. Stephen said that thanks to our recent fight, we and the werewolves were all bound together by blood and battle. He could use that as the basis of a seeking spell that was based on sympathetic magic.

Billy and the SHIELD guards stared at us in confusion as Stephen wove his spell. I don't blame them. There was a time when none of that would have made any sense at all to this Mississippi gal. The X-Men don't have a recruiting poster, but if they did, it might say something like, "Join The X-Men And See The Multiverse".

Stephen cast his spell. Then he calmly described a location to us. I had the impression that not many spell-casters could have pulled that off, but after all, this was Doctor Strange we were talking about.

As SHIELD and the others got ready for the upcoming mission, Stephen and I found someplace to have a quiet talk.

"I'll come with you," he offered.

I shook my head. "Sorry sugar, but this is a SHIELD and X-Men show. And you make SHIELD really nervous. But I'd appreciate it if you were available for backup."

Stephen smiled at me and nodded his head. "Of course. With your permission, I'll cast a spell on you. All you will need to do is say my name, and I'll know that you require assistance."

I couldn't help it. I'm a happily married woman, but there are men who have been put on this earth for the sole purpose of being tormented by wicked, wicked women like me.

"Do I have to take all of my clothes off?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as innocent as possible. "Like that time down in New Orleans?"

Dr. Stephen Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts and Sorcerer Supreme of the Cosmos doesn't blush. But maybe he sometimes comes close.

"Nothing that... extensive... is required," he said dryly.

Then he hesitated. "But I will have to touch you in order for this to work."

I shrugged - and then kissed him. Stephen tastes of wood smoke and sweet incense, with just the barest hint of a gentleman's fine scotch whiskey.

There was a tingle, like a very mild electric current, as Stephen's spell took hold.

Then Stephen was gone.

"Scaredy cat," I said to the empty air.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

"We're coming along," Alex said. Jimmy nodded in agreement.

I opened my mouth to say no, but they saw that coming.

"When Rogue was our age, she was a super-villain," Alex interrupted. She sounded pretty determined. "You were even younger when you became Logan's partner. And Aunt Laura was just a little girl when she began killing people for Weapon-X."

"And we've spent our adult lives trying to make sure that nobody else has go through something like that!" I immediately shot back.

"That's a work in progress," Jimmy replied quietly. "The next step in the process is to rescue Billy's friends. You're going to need all the help you can get in order to do that."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. That's just habit since I really don't have to breathe.

Then I glanced at Laura. She nodded her head.

"You keep Rogue, Laura, Steve, or me in sight at all times," I told them. "And you do what you're told."

They both nodded in silent and solemn agreement.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

I was helping Steve put on a set of SHIELD combat armor.

"You understand that you're not Iron Man when you're wearing this?" I asked. I've seen some SHIELD agents badly hurt because they overestimated the capabilities of their armor.

Steve shrugged - which was difficult to see with the armor on - and picked up his helmet.

"I've used this gear before," he said.

"Very well," I said as Steve put on his helmet.

"After this is over, how about dinner together?" he asked. His voice now had a slight buzz thanks to the helmet's voice amplifier.

I frowned. "You always ask me that just before a dangerous mission. Which makes it psychologically difficult to say no."

"So that's a yes? While I'm in this tin can, I can use the onboard computer and comm system to make a reservation."

I handed Steve a dual-magazine automatic shotgun and a bandolier of shells.

"How about that Italian place in Salem Center?" I suggested as he checked the load of his weapon.

"Sounds good."

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

Between Rochester and Niagara Falls, along the shore of Lake Ontario, there's a long stretch of shore that doesn't have many towns, but does have a lot of state parks. Wedged in between two of those parks is a hundred wooded acres of private land. On it was an old resort hotel. It's been closed for decades.

The question of who owned the hotel was lost in a confused tangle of front companies that only seemed to consist of foreign phone numbers. But according to Stephen Strange, the old resort was the location of the werewolves.

There's a lot of history between SHIELD and the X-Men. And a lot of it is bad. As far as I know, it was Jubes' personal decision to join SHIELD. But I sometimes wonder if Logan had her do it just so she could be our spy in their ranks. I suspect a lot of SHIELD agents wonder the same thing.

On the other hand, whenever I put on my Avengers hat, SHIELD suddenly becomes a lot easier to work with. So I did just that.

Of course, it also helped that we were working with Natasha.

"Your guys will isolate the resort on all sides, including offshore, and my team will enter the resort and deal with the werewolves and the vampire," I told Natasha.

"Your plan has the virtue of simplicity," Natasha said with a straight face.

"We don't have time for anything more detailed," I said. "The longer we wait, the more likely it is that we'll lose track of the werewolves."

"Very well."

"Oh... and unless you have a problem with it, Steve Coulson is coming with us," I added.

Natasha nodded. "Actually that's fine. You'll need a liaison from SHIELD Tactical with you... or I would you rather I assign a more experienced agent?"

I shook my head, "My folks know and trust Steve."

Natasha took the hint. "Okay, but if you get him hurt, you have to explain it to Phil."

I grimaced.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

There's not much point to trying to surprise a pack of werewolves.

Of course, there's different kinds of surprise. We wanted to get as close as possible before any fighting broke out. It would also help if not all of the werewolves were together and ready for a fight when we put in our appearance.

SHIELD provided us with an old pickup truck that had a camper shell on the back. It looked completely ordinary, but the shell had some interesting technology built into it that would mask the presence of whoever was inside. It even worked for scent.

Rogue took one look at the pickup, grinned, and called dibs on driving it. Then she scrounged up some appropriate clothes. She ended up dressed in cowboy boots, a pair of tight jeans, a long-sleeve shirt that was tied off to leave her midriff bare, and a cowboy hat.

"You are such a stereotype sometimes," I told her.

Rogue ignored me. She was lounging near the driver-side door as the rest of us got ready. Even in her forties, Rogue looked good - the benefits of age-inhibiting mutant blood and a very active lifestyle. Superheroing keeps you young right up until it finally kills you.

Then Jimmy walked up to Rogue.

"What's up?" Rogue asked just before Jimmy leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead.

Rogue smiled and let the kiss go on as she took Jimmy's hands in her own. When she was done, she gave Jimmy a big hug.

"You're just like your daddy," she told Jimmy. "Very forward. And always there for a friend."

Rogue's control of her power has improved a lot over the years. So she could duplicate Jimmy's strength, reactions, healing factor, super-senses, and claws, without knocking him out or getting too deep into his memories.

Still it was a rough ride. Looking a little dazed, Jimmy staggered back to the rest of us.

"Welcome to the X-Men," I said as Laura and Alex helped Jimmy into the truck. "Hope you survive the experience."

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

We all got into the camping shell. It was crowded with five of us in it. I solved the worst of the problem by having Jubes sit in my lap. As we rattled down the road, I linked my hands around Jubes' stomach and rested my forehead on the back of her neck.

Her scent was interesting. I could smell some of myself inside of her.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

I drove the truck right up the resort's fence-line and stopped at a gate. From the corner of my eye, I saw movement in the trees right on the other side of the gate. With the window open, I could catch a scent. It was male - the body chemistry awkwardly poised between boy and man.

Pulling a map out of the glove compartment, I opened it and took a long look, trying to appear as lost as possible. I also used the map as cover as I loosened the top buttons of my shirt.

The boy unlatched the gate and walked slowly up to my truck. He was dark-haired and broadly-built for his age. Despite that, his face looked gaunt and hungry. And his eyes seemed strangely old. By now, I could smell the wolf in him. It was close to the surface.

"Hello," he said roughly.

I looked up with a start - as if I had just noticed him.

He saw how much cleavage I was showing and went hormonal. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. I actually felt kind of guilty.

"The... uh... the other side?" he stuttered, waving vaguely at the gate. "It's private property. So... uhm... no trespassing." There was something odd about his voice - like he didn't talk too often and the skill had deteriorated.

I cocked my head at him. "Well, thanks for the warning. But I'm not on the other side of the fence."

He swallowed and made an honest effort not to stare at my chest. He failed.

"Yeah," he continued. "I'm just warning you. That's my job. So... you're warned."

I had to remind myself that this tongue-tied kid could very quickly turn into something pretty damned dangerous.

Making a frustrated gesture with the map, I asked, "Hey, sweetie, could you take a look at this? I don't have a clue where I am."

He hesitated for a moment, then stepped closer, putting a hand on the edge of my open window as he craned his head to look over my shoulder and at the map.

I touched his hand.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

We heard the boy talking to Rogue. We heard Rogue ask him to look at her map. Then Rogue and the boy both screamed. And there was a blood-chilling snarl as the truck rocked violently.

"Stay here!" I yelled to Alex and Jimmy. Then Laura and I bolted out of the back of the truck.

The driver's door was open. Rogue was sitting on the ground, with her back against the front tire. The boy was unconscious and partially transformed into his were form. He was curled up on the ground next to Rogue with his head in her lap.

There was the scent of blood in the air. I tried to ignore it.

Laura ran past me and through the gate. Then she vanished into the trees.

I knelt next to Rogue. Her left arm and the side of her face was slashed open, and there was blood all over her upper body, but the healing factor she'd borrowed from Jimmy was already closing up her wounds.

Her good hand was tangled up in the fur on the boy's head.

"His name is Howard," Rogue said absently to me as she stared out into the distance. There were tears in her eyes and she was trying to smooth down the wild ruff of the boy's - Howard's - fur. If it hadn't been for the blood, and the fact that the boy was transformed into a huge and savage creature, it would have been a peaceful scene of a woman and her favorite pet.

I could guess what had happened. Rogue tried to knock the boy out with her power. He panicked and slashed her, and that caused her to enter too deep into his mind. Apparently what she had seen in his head had been pretty bad.

"Rogue... come back," I said softly.

Rogue closed her eyes. "I want to come back," she whispered. "I want to."

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

I quickly found the boy's observation post. It was a simple wooden hunting blind, camouflaged effectively by the trees. It was old and run-down, but had a good view of the road and the gate. There was no radio or observation devices. The boy probably had a cell-phone on him.

My senses indicated that nobody else in the near area.

A worn and tattered book was lying on the floor of the hunting blind. I picked it up. It was, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and had the boy's scent on it.

Not Miss Rowling's best book, in my opinion.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

Steve began securing Howard with a set of silver-alloy shackles as Jubes helped me to my feet.

"Be careful with him," I told Steve. Steve hesitated and nodded at me. Then he carried the boy back into the camper shell.

I was shaking as Jubes helped me back into the driver's seat. I pulled myself across the bench until I was on the passenger side. Jubes got in next to me.

Howard's memories were flickering through my head. I normally try to avoid going that deep into somebody when I touch them. And after years of practice, I've gotten good at that. But Howard didn't immediately go under when I grabbed his hand. I had to force my way into his mind. And then, as he panicked and tried to escape, he transformed into his werewolf form and slashed me.

"The Lady of Hounds isn't here," I told Jubes. My voice was shaking. "She has a lab here. Her werewolves guard it. And they do jobs for her. But she isn't here right now."

Jubes hesitated - and then shrugged. "So we won't get her today. We'll get her eventually."

I kicked off my boots and pulled my legs underneath me until I was cross-legged. Then I put by hands by my sides, with the thumbs and first fingers forming a circle. Rachel Grey had taught me mediation techniques years ago. It helped.

Jubes silently waited for me to regain control.

"He was kidnapped from a foster home," I heard myself tell Jubes. "And the Lady made him a werewolf by injected him with some kind of serum made from werewolf blood."

Jubes nodded.

"Then she tortured him until he broke," I continued.

She nodded again.

"I'll get it together," I promised Jubes.

Somewhere in my head, Howard was screaming for his mother as the Lady of Hounds used a cane to methodically beat him into a bloody, sobbing, wreck. I bit my lips hard in order to distract myself. Then I began concentrating on a routine that would calm me down.

I had to regain control. I had to. The others needed me.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

It had happened so fast. I should have kept my distance from Rogue. When I helped her into the truck, some of her blood got on my hands. Now she was sitting right next to me.

It was a newbie mistake.

I hadn't taken any blood lately. Laura and I should have taken care of that, but the mission was put together too quickly.

I was beginning to shake with need. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate.

We'd captured another werewolf, but he wasn't in any condition to answer questions. Rogue was out of it - at least for now. However, we had a route open into the resort and Laura had hand-signaled to me that nobody was watching. The SHIELD choppers were in the air, but keeping their distance. The tactical teams that were going to isolate the resort site were waiting for word from us before deploying.

My stomach was knotting up and my fangs were extended. I hated what I was. I hated what it did to me. Every time I thought I finally had my bloodlust under control, something like this happened.

Suddenly, Alex was standing beside the pickup's door. She knew what was going on. Without a word, she took the cap off a bottle of blood substitute and handed it to me. I snatched it from her and began guzzling it down.

I didn't look at Alex. I couldn't. I was so ashamed.

Alex touched her head to mine and whispered, "It's okay. It's okay."

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

I was watching the approaches that to led to our position.

The communicator in my left ear clicked. It was Steve.

"Rogue and Agent Lee are... distracted," he reported tersely.

"I know," I responded. I had to force myself not to go to Jubes. I was on point and had to stay there.

"Should we abort?" Steve asked.

I considered Steve's question.

"What will SHIELD do if we abort?" I asked.

"A bomber strike - with napalm. Probably multiple strikes. That'll obliterate the hotel and kill everything that's killable."

That made sense. Fire would work against both vampires and werewolves and SHIELD knew that.

"We'll continue the mission," I said.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then I opened my eyes and began to unfold from my meditation position.

I was myself again. I'd found something to focus on. Something that forced down the screaming in my head and gave me a sense of urgency. Something that helped me regain and keep control.

I was going to kill the Lady of Hounds.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

"You okay?" I asked Rogue.

Actually, Rogue looked like hell, but she seemed to be in control. And now there was something cold and hard in her eyes.

"Ah'm just fine," she said with a smile. Her accent was really strong. If you know Rogue, that meant that trouble was on the way.

"How about you?" she asked me.

I was quiet for a few seconds as I wondered about the answer to that question.

Off to the side, Alex was carefully watching us.

"Let's go," I said.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Jimmy moved silently into cover on the opposite side of the road. For someone who spends most of his time in a classroom, he was impressively stealthy.

I moved forward through some tall grass and brush, into another copse of trees.

Alex took my old position in the hunting blind. Jimmy then slipped into a new position behind me and to my right. Jubes and Rogue were following us, allowing Alex, Jimmy, and I to scout our approach.

Steve kept behind us, using his armor's comm gear to keep in contact with the waiting SHIELD troops. The chameleon coating of his armor blended him into the background. He wasn't as quiet as the rest of us, but he was still doing very well.

Like ghosts, silent and unseen, we moved in slow bounds towards the hotel. One of us moving while the others watched and waited.

A doe and two fawns were in our path, contentedly browsing a blackberry bush. They didn't notice as I drifted past. Once I was between them and the hotel, the prevailing winds from the lake finally brought my scent to them. Their heads suddenly elevated as they realized that a predator was nearby. Then, in a precise flicker of motion, they fled towards some dense brush.

I suddenly realized that I was smiling.

I wished Logan and Raze were with us. They would have loved this.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

We were scarily-good as we stealthed towards the hotel. The only way I could tell where Alex, Jimmy, and Laura were was by scent. And when the wind shifted, I would lose even that.

Jubes wordlessly asked permission to separate from me. I gave it to her.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

There were four werewolves in the hotel. I had their scent as I slipped forward.

Suddenly, Laura was next to me.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Jubes and I vanished into some trees.

We didn't have time to be gentle. I bared my neck and closed my eyes. Then Jubes took me in her arms.

The twin spikes of pain in my neck were cold at first - and then turned warm. Jubes was careful to not take too much blood from me. But by the time we were done, she would be able to handle a daytime fight at close to full strength.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

I waited until Laura and Jubes were done. Nobody talks about what they do. But I knew it was important to them. So I pretended not to notice.

The hotel itself was big. It consisted of a two-story main structure and a pair of long wings that extended out from the main structure.

The wings were run-down, but the main facility was getting at least some kind of maintenance. The roof was still in decent shape and the exterior walls had been recently resided and painted.

There were a pair of vehicles - a late-model van and an older SUV - parked near the front door. Since we were approaching from the front, I couldn't tell if there were any boats in the lake behind the hotel.

The sun was low, but we still had over an hour until sunset.

Steve was keeping contact with SHIELD. I signaled him to order the troops into position.

"Go," I said.

Even though I barely spoke louder than a whisper, everyone heard me.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

Off in the distance, I could hear the thud of rotors as SHIELD airmobile troops rushed into position, blocking all exits from the resort.

I didn't bother with the door, I went through a window just to one side of it.

Inside, a girl werewolf was waiting for me, but she was paying too much attention to the door.

I slammed into her, my fingertip claws digging into her flesh.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Alex and Jimmy followed me through the door.

Jubilation was tangled up in a fight, but I was in perfect position behind the werewolf. With a single cut, I severed her spine. With her legs suddenly dead, the werewolf collapsed to the floor. Jubes kicked her in the head so hard that her neck broke with an audible snap.

Alex and Jimmy moved past us and towards the large set of interior stairs that led up to the second floor. Two werewolves were racing down the stairs.

I could sense a third werewolf approaching from off to one side.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

The werewolves were spread-out and disorganized. We would take them down piecemeal.

We had this fight in our claws. I just had to make sure that nothing lethal happened.

One werewolf was face-down in the lobby - Jubes and Laura had just taken her down. Alex and Jimmy were fighting two werewolves on the stairs. A third was approaching from the west wing.

I wanted Laura to go up the stairs and help the kids, while Jubes stayed with me.

I opened my mouth to yell orders, but I didn't have to.

Laura immediately turned and charged up the stairs. I was already in motion, with Jubes prowling off to my right and a few steps behind. Jubes and I weren't waiting for the lone werewolf. We were going to catch him just as he got to the lobby.

BA-BOOM! BA-BOOM! BA-BOOM!

That was from behind us. The werewolf Jubes and Laura had incapacitated must have stirred. Steve had shot her with heavy-duty tranquilizer rounds. The tranquilizing agent was laced with silver nitrate.

That startled me. And maybe frightened me. Suddenly, I didn't have a sense of who or what Steve was. He was helping, but he wasn't one of us. So his presence felt somehow wrong.

I shook my head to try and clear it.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

I was about to go up the stairs to help Alex and Jimmy.

And then...

And then it seemed like that wasn't my job. That was Laura's job.

My job was to follow Rogue instead.

So I did.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Alex and Jimmy were fighting the werewolves.

They were so young. I had to be there. I had to make sure that nothing went wrong.

They were Omegas, but one was of my blood, and that meant so much to me. The other Omega was not of my blood, but I felt great affection for her. She and my blood Omega were mated. They would bring so much to the...

To the...

Pack.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

The werewolf approaching from the west was almost at the lobby door.

Jubilation moved against the wall, flanking the door. Her eyes were eager with anticipation as she watched me. She was strange - not completely one of us, but so close. I trusted her. I trusted her loyalty and her ferocity. She would always have a place with me.

She was a good Beta.

The werewolf was at the door. I somehow knew he was reaching for the door handle...

I would need full use of my hands, so I retracted my claws. They sliced back through the skin and muscle of my hands in a flare of bright agony, but then the wounds began to heal. Ultimately, the pain was trivial. It was just part of the price we paid to be what we were.

There was no need to say anything to Jubes. She knew what to do.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

I slammed my clawed hands through the door and felt my claws sink deep into flesh. There was an agonized howl from the other side. Then I yanked as hard as I could.

The werewolf came through the door all right, but not in the way he'd expected.

The door splintered apart as the werewolf flew through it. Pieces of wood flew in every direction. The werewolf collapsed at my feet. He was stunned.

I was about to tear into him when a growl from Rogue made me hesitate. Then I stepped back.

Rogue picked p the werewolf in both hands. He flailed wildly at her as she slammed him against the wall.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Blood was drizzling down the steps.

The fight on the stairs was in our favor. However, one of the werewolves was the pack Alpha - the boy I'd talked to back at Alex's dorm room. He and Jimmy were tearing at one another. Alex was fighting a female werewolf.

The fight was fairly even. I planned on turning it our way.

Sensing what I was about to do, Jimmy shifted slightly and gave me the room I needed to engage the pack Alpha.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

The werewolf I was manhandling was obviously rattled and surprised.

Pinning him against the wall, I slapped him hard across the muzzle. Blood spilled from his mouth and nostrils.

He grabbed at me, tearing at my arms, but I could tell that he was uncertain and not fighting at his best.

So I slapped him again. And then again.

The werewolf stopped fighting. Our eyes met. And he instantly looked away.

I let him go. He collapsed to my feet.

"Down," I told him.

He crouched low, with his back to the wall.

"Stay," I ordered.

He nodded, still not able to look at me.

That particular fight was over. I turned away.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

What the hell was happening?

Rogue turned her back on the now-submissive werewolf and began stalking towards the fight on the stairs. Every nerve in body was telling me to not just leave the werewolf behind us. At the very least, we had to tranquilize and chain him.

But for some reason, it didn't even occur to me to say anything to Rogue. I would just have to bodyguard her if she insisted on taking chances like this.

Rogue glanced at me and smiled. "It's okay," she said. Then she reached over and ran a hand through my hair.

My fears seemed to melt away. I knew that as long as I stayed with Rogue, everything would be fine.

Steve was in the middle of the room, trying to watch all of the entrances at once. The unconscious werewolf girl at his feet had transformed back to human and was obviously out of the fight.

We couldn't see Steve's face because of the helmet he was wearing, but his body-language was all bafflement and concern as Rogue marched past him without so much as a glance.

I wanted to say something to him, but there wasn't much point. Steve really wasn't one of us. He wouldn't understand.

He couldn't understand.

As we mounted the stairs, Rogue had her eyes on the fight raging above us.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

We were limited by the fact that we didn't want to kill the werewolves. Despite that, Alex was winning her fight with the female werewolf. However, the pack Alpha was actually standing off Jimmy and I. But the effort required for him to do that was exhausting and he couldn't keep it up forever.

I could sense Rogue and Jubes coming up the stairs behind us, and I knew the fight would end soon.

My Alpha was here.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

Grabbing Laura and Jimmy by the shoulders, I pulled them down the steps and away from the pack Alpha.

Alex saw what I was doing and also backed away. The female werewolf she had been fighting almost collapsed. She was panting wildly and shaking as her body tried to heal all of her wounds. She barely managed to steady herself by grabbing the stair's railing with both of her clawed hands.

The pack Alpha stared at me, his eyes angry and a snarl rumbling from deep in his chest.

It was a good show, but I knew better. If he really wanted to fight, we would be fighting.

"Stop it, sugar. You're mine now," I told him. I didn't bother with yelling or any other kind of display. I didn't have to.

The pack Alpha wasn't dumb - I could almost see him working out the math in his head. One of his pack had been lost back at the college. The one out at the gate was missing and either captured or dead. The one in the center of the room was knocked out. The one against the west wall had submitted to me. He and his badly beaten-up female Beta were all that was left to face my pack. It was a fight they couldn't win.

The former pack Alpha reached over and carefully grabbed the female next to him. Then he pulled her close and hugged her. He obviously didn't want her making any mistakes and maybe getting hurt. He really didn't have to worry, there was no fight left in her. She just clung to him and whimpered in fear.

They slowly began shifting back to normal.

"Where's the Lady?" I asked.

"She isn't here," he said. "She left after she sent us to that college. I don't know where she went to."

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

The werewolves had transformed back into kids. Undressed kids. This damned day was filled with naked teenagers. I fought done the irrational urge to line up everyone who was under the age of twenty - which was most of the people in the room - and start yelling at them about proper attire.

Yikes, I was getting old.

Rogue literally dragged the two kids down from the stairs by their ears. She wasn't being deliberately mean. She was just reinforcing the point that she was in charge.

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

It was over. With our help, SHIELD agents searched the hotel and the resort grounds.

We found something in the hotel's boiler room. It was equal parts laboratory, kennel, and torture-chamber.

We didn't find the Lady of Hounds. She was long gone. But by then, we'd already figured out what she was doing.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

The Blackbird arrived sometime around midnight. Dani and Rahne were piloting.

Then we herded the werewolves aboard the Blackbird. We had them wrapped up in blankets that SHIELD had provided. They were being docile and obedient, but it still took some talking to convince the SHIELD guys to take off the silver shackles.

"What are you going to do with us?" the kid who'd been the Alpha asked me nervously as I unlocked his chains.

"You're going to school," I told him.

He scowled.

"And I'm going to be there, keeping an eye on all of you," I added.

He hastily readjusted the expression on his face into something more cooperative.

Inside the Blackbird, we got everyone into a seat and made sure they had on their seatbelts.

"Hi!" Rahne called cheerfully from the front of the plane.

The werewolves all looked at her.

Then Rahne stood up and turned into what she calls her "half-wolf" form. Really furry, but still walking on two legs.

"I'm Rahne Sinclair and I'm an instructor at the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning. You will be attending school there and I will be your academic advisor."

There was a rumble of skepticism. The idea of going back to school apparently wasn't very popular.

Rahne walked down the line of our new students, carefully biting each of them on the ear, until they squealed in submission. It actually wasn't painful, but it did make a point.

Never let it be said that the Jean Grey School of Higher Education doesn't use the most modern methods of student advising.

* * *

><p><em>Jubilation<em>

Deputy Director Romanoff has an office just off of the helicarrier's bridge. That's where we were.

"The big brains are looking over her lab notes, but I think we already know what the Lady of Hounds is up to," I said.

"What?" Romanoff asked.

"She was looking for mutants with regenerative abilities - like Alex. Then she was going to use their blood to develop a day-walking ability."

Romanoff leaned back in her chair thoughtfully. "Like you," she said.

"Like me," I agreed.

Romanoff thought that over. "The Lady of Hounds didn't get Alex. But did she find anyone else?"

I shook my head. "We don't know. Not yet."

* * *

><p><em>Laura<em>

Emma Frost and I normally avoid each other, but I had to talk to her.

"Something strange happened on the last mission," I said.

We were in Emma's office. "Go on," she said, her eyes narrowed in interest.

"Rogue, Jubes, Alex, Jimmy, and I were in... an altered state."

Emma suddenly looked worried. I could sense her conducting a quick telepathic scan on me. I didn't react to that. After all, I'd asked for her help. I had to accept the consequences.

"What do you mean by an 'altered state'?" Emma demanded.

I licked my lips before answering. "It was like we were a wolf pack. Rogue was the Alpha. Jubes and I were her Betas. Alex and Jimmy were Omegas. We seemed to be able to do some simple forms of non-verbal communication. And everyone deferred to their role in the pack. Steve Coulson was with us, but we all somehow knew he wasn't a member of the pack. If things had gone the wrong way, I think he might have been in danger from us."

Emma seemed to consider what I'd said.

"Have you talked to Logan about this?" Emma asked.

I shook my head.

* * *

><p><em>Rogue<em>

It was a couple of days since the mission. Remy was out of town and I'd decided to go into Salem Center for some alone-time. A day of shopping and an hour-or-two in my favorite coffee shop seemed like a good way to relax.

The mission was still bothering me.

What had been done to those kids...

The strange way the team had reacted...

I sighed to myself. I should stop fretting. The kids were at the school and beginning to fit in. We would do what we could for them, and hopefully help them find their way in the world. That was what we really did, and we were good at it.

Of course, it wouldn't be truly settled until I finally pounded a stake through the heart of the Lady of Hounds and then gave those kids her decapitated head to use for a pick-up soccer game. That promise I'd made about the Lady of Hounds was still in place.

I took an idle sip from a ridiculously expensive coffee and turned the page of the magazine I was reading. A pile of shopping bags were on the chair next to me.

Across the street, I saw a young couple at the front door of the better local restaurants. It was Laura and Steve, all dressed up and on their way to dinner.

My eyes wandered over Steve as he held the door for Laura. He wore well-fitting off-the-rack clothes when he was working, but he'd dug out his best suit for this date. Steve looked really good. Some say that a well-tailored suit is a woman's equivalent to scanty lingerie. I happen to agree.

It crossed my mind that I should cross the street and put Laura in her place. Then I'd take Steve away from her, go find a flat surface somewhere, and spend the rest of the night pleasantly amusing myself with him.

I wanted Steve. And it wasn't right for Laura to have what I wanted.

After all, I was the Alpha.

The handle of the coffee-cup in my hand broke off. The cup itself skittered across the table, leaving foamy coffee in its wake, and then clattered to floor in a final crash.

What the hell was wrong with me?

* * *

><p><em>Afterword<em>

Count Vladimir Tepes - also known as Dracula - felt he had a firm grasp of the art of diplomacy.

Of course, Dracula's idea of diplomacy was quite different from that of most modern men. It was born of a harder time, when Transylvania was a blood-soaked battlefield trapped between East and West. In those days, fanaticism was common, assassination was policy, and atrocity was unremarkable. In general, Dracula had little but contempt for the statesmen of the modern era, but there were a few notable exceptions. He understood why Hitler had murdered races, Stalin had exterminated classes, and men far saner and more reasonable than either of those two madmen had brought fire - even nuclear fire - to the cities of their enemies.

But when all was said and done, Dracula knew that even ruthlessness had limits. There were things that could not be done. Not now. Perhaps not ever. The consequences were too unpredictable and potentially quite deadly.

So when Queen Ororo Iquadi T'Challa demanded to speak with Count Vladimir Tepes, it happened.

* * *

><p>It was midnight in the finest hotel in downtown Budapest. At current time, the hotel was unusually empty. It had only one guest - and dozens of terrified staff.<p>

The hotel manager himself held the front door open for Ororo. He was an older man, overweight and florid, and despite the air-conditioning in the lobby, he was visibly sweating.

"Good evening, your majesty," the manager said in a shaky and slightly shrill voice. "It is an honor to have you with us. If there is anything at all that I or my staff can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask. It would be our pleasure and honor to assist you."

With pity in her eyes, Ororo looked at the quivering manager.

"Take me to the Count," she ordered quietly.

The manager bowed as the night porter took Ororo's coat. Underneath, Ororo was wearing a red evening gown and a scatter of barbarically striking gold and sapphire jewelry. Her hair was a long, flowing cascade of pure white that fell well down her back. The heels she was wearing emphasized her already considerable height. And, as always, her strikingly blue eyes seemed to dominate her surroundings.

For just a moment, every man in the lobby completely forgot their fear.

* * *

><p>The hotel restaurant was only dimly lit. Dracula was sitting at a lonely table in the far back of the room. He rose to his feet when Ororo entered. A young-appearing and remarkably handsome vampire appeared out of the shadows and held Ororo's chair for her as she sat down.<p>

Once Ororo was settled, Dracula reclaimed his seat.

The vampire servant poured a glass of wine for Ororo and then withdrew back into the shadows.

"Ororo, your beauty never seems to fade," Dracula said mildly.

Ororo didn't react to the compliment.

"Count, we seem to be on the verge of war," she replied just as mildly.

"Who are 'we'?" the Count asked with a touch of amusement.

"The X-Men, the Avengers, and SHIELD. With the support of the United States, the European Union, China, India, Japan, Russia, and most of the other nations of Earth. The world is taking the threat of day-walking vampires quite seriously."

Dracula suddenly didn't seem so amused. He raised an eyebrow as he swirled a strictly ornamental glass of wine. "That is a formidable alliance. And perhaps an unstable one. What stance has Wakanda taken, if I might ask?"

"Officially neutral. Unofficially, Wakandan special forces will be deploying with NATO."

"And how is King T'Challa?" Dracula asked politely.

"In good health. He sends his regards and suggests you carefully consider all of your options."

"How kind of him. Please say hello for me when you return home. Remind him about that demon-lion problem I advised him about a few years ago."

Ororo nodded. "I will. T'Challa did say he would be willing to carry any constructive messages you might have to the United Nations Security Council. He emphasized the word 'constructive'."

Dracula smiled tightly without showing any teeth and made a gesture. The servant who had poured wine for Ororo reappeared and placed a portable hard-drive in front of Ororo.

Ororo frowned slightly and gave Dracula an enquiring look.

"I had no personal knowledge of the operation in which human populations were examined for unusual traits of the blood," Dracula explained. "That was the work of an ambitious and treasonous underling. That - 'hard-drive' I believe it is called? - contains all of the Lady of Hounds' technical notes and includes proof that she was keeping her operation a secret from me. However, I cannot deny that she was a member of my ruling clique and that I must take ultimate responsibility for her misdeeds. Appropriate reparations will be paid. And the Lady of Hounds is now outlawed and is no longer one of my subjects. Do with her as you will."

Ororo carefully examined Dracula's face. "And you are not interested in pursuing her research?"

"I am told that a side-effect of that process would be to break the natural and proper bond of domination between a vampire and their vampire lord. Such a thing is not in my interest. However, it would be most useful if someone - say the Lady of Hounds - were planning a rebellion against my rule."

Ororo frowned skeptically. "Some will say that the Lady of Hounds is being made into a scapegoat for your actions."

Dracula nodded. "I know. Of course, a choice will eventually have to be made by that rather unwieldy alliance of yours. They can take an easy victory and go home, or hazard a risky war with an unpredictable outcome over a matter that some would consider to be trivial. My kingdom will not die easily, Ororo. And I will drag down as much of the world as possible if I face defeat."

Ororo said nothing.

Dracula leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of his face. He couldn't look Ororo in the eyes. Ororo might interpret that as an attempt at mental control and launch an immediate counter-attack. And that would be the start of a war that nobody would win.

"Ororo... I'm telling you the truth," Dracula said quietly.

Then Dracula did the only thing left for him to do. He waited for Ororo's decision.

In fact, the entire world was waiting for Ororo's decision.

"I believe you," Ororo said calmly.

Dracula showed no sign of his very real sense of relief. He just nodded politely.

It suddenly occurred to Dracula that this moment had been preordained. Perhaps this was the reason Ororo had never fallen under his sway, despite his best efforts. Had this moment been fated to happen - fated by some greater power who needed Ororo Munroe to know Dracula, but not be controlled by him?

That thought made Dracula very uneasy.


End file.
